BRIDGETON, N.J. – A New Jersey teacher received a nearly $200,000 settlement from the Bridgeton Board of Education after she was allegedly told to “put her big girl panties on and deal with” a student assault in 2015.

Former Bridgeton teacher Michelle Andrews filed a lawsuit against the district in 2016 after she alleged she was fired from her job for complaining about assaults by students at her school, NJ.com reports.

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Andrews alleged she was first injured by a sixth grade student at West Avenue School in January 2015 and filed assault charges against the student. The lawsuit alleges the school principal removed the teen from her class and told her to “put her big girl panties on and deal with it,” according to The Daily Journal.

Two months later, she was struck in the face while breaking up a fight between two students and was “body checked” by a student in April 2015, which resulted in a neck injury that forced her to miss work.

“Despite (Andrews’) requests, nothing was done by the administration or the supervisory personnel of the school, and the matter was not written up or documented as required by law,” according to the lawsuit.

“When Andrews returned to work, she wrote a letter to the district’s upper management, including the superintendent and director of human resources, stating her concerns about her supervisors ‘retaliating against her’ and that the school was not documenting the fights and assaults that involved her,” NJ.com reports.

Human resources assured Andrews an investigation was under way, and the school board initially renewed her contract for 2016. But shortly after she sent the message to school leaders, her contract renewal was rescinded, according to the lawsuit.

That decision ultimately cost taxpayers $197,500 – the total settlement paid out to the educator in April.

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Locals who commented about the settlement online pointed out it wasn’t the first time Andrews has sued local officials.

“That’s more than she got when she sued the county sheriff’s department,” Lurker454 posted in the NJ.com comments.

In 2008, Andrews sued the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, records show, though the result of that litigation is unclear.

Others chimed in about the dangerous state of public schools in New Jersey, and some pointed to parents as part of the problem.

“One way or another, the public will pay for people not raising their kids right, and society’s fear of calling them out on it,” mapatapol posted.

“The times are … calling for a change in what kids are allowed to get away with,” user “I’m back” wrote. “This bs of letting kids get away with violent behavior towards other kids, teachers, and others has to be stopped. It was going on in the 70s when I was a kid and still going on now. That needs to be changed.”

“Let’s put teachers behind protective glass,” mvojy added. “I would rather the large upfront cost then to pay out for lawsuits, disability and settlements later.”