A VICTORIAN teacher who had a toy gun pulled on her by a pupil in a misguided prank is claiming hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation from the Education Department and the former student.

Suzanne May Tyson, 54, claims she may never work again due to stress after believing the $2 plastic gun pointed at her by then 16-year-old Mooroopna Secondary College student Adam Tyler Dorsett was real.

On March 4, 2009, Ms Tyson was teaching in the library when Mr Dorsett held a replica gun to her head in close proximity and pulled the trigger, a writ filed in the Supreme Court earlier this month states.

The court document alleges Mr Dorsett fled, but then returned to the library and verbally threatened the terrified teacher.

Ms Tyson allegedly suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression as a result of the incident, and has been unable to return to work.

The writ states she was rendered incapable of any employment, perhaps indefinitely.

Ms Tyson was employed as a full-time leading teacher at the school in central Victoria since 1992 and earned $72,000 a year.

The Harston woman is claiming loss of earnings - either with the school or in alternative full-time employment - and superannuation.

She claims the school was negligent or breached the duty of care owed to her by failing to provide a safe workplace, adequate security or responding sufficiently to the incident.

The student should have been escorted to his locker and then out of the school, rather than being allowed to return to the library, the document states.

Mr Dorsett, now 19, was unaware of the legal proceedings when approached by the Herald Sun yesterday.

The Shepparton labourer said it was a stupid prank involving a toy gun that went wrong.

"I'm really sorry for what I did - I was 16 and stupid," Mr Dorsett said.

"I thought it was a prank, just a funny joke."

He said he didn't want to talk about the incident in further detail because he did not want to get himself in trouble.

It is believed Mr Dorsett was expelled from the school following the incident.

A Department of Education spokesman declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate as the matter was before the court.

The case will be heard by a judge in the Victorian Supreme Court.

emily.portelli@news.com.au