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Bringing a prohibited item to a workplace demonstrated an "astonishing" lack of judgement that went beyond "simply misguided", the Fair Work Commission has found, in upholding an employee's dismissal as fair.

"The same lack of judgement was apparent in [the employee's] subsequent attempts to downplay the seriousness of the incident," Commissioner Sarah McKinnon said.

ACT Education had employed the public high school teacher since 2004. It summarily dismissed her in January this year for serious misconduct, after she brought a 3D-printed replica firearm to her high school.

The Commission heard that in April 2025, the employee had a discussion with the school principal and other supervisors about increasing engagement in her maths class, and about ways to promote uptake of electives that she wanted to teach the following year...