A journalist has gained her case in opposition to Australia’s nationwide broadcaster, with a court docket ruling she used to be unfairly sacked over a social media put up concerning the warfare in Gaza.
Antoinette Lattouf mentioned the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) fired her with out “right kind foundation” or “due procedure” when her five-day contract as a fill-in radio presenter used to be lower brief in December 2023.
Hours ahead of she used to be sacked, Lattouf shared a put up from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that used to be essential of Israel, a transfer that the ABC mentioned breached its editorial coverage.
Lattouf sued for wrongful dismissal, claiming she have been fired because of her political opinions, her race and after lobbying from pro-Israel teams.
Her dismissal brought on a wave of public outrage and created turmoil on the public broadcaster – elevating questions over its independence and reviving issues over the way it helps personnel, specifically those that are culturally various.
The ABC disputed that she used to be fired, as a result of they’d paid her contract in complete.
On Wednesday, Justice Darryl Rangiah dominated that the ABC did sack Ms Lattouf, for causes together with her reviews at the Israeli army marketing campaign in Gaza. He rejected the allegation she used to be fired as a result of her race.
He awarded Ms Lattouf damages of A$70,000 (£33,400, $45,400), however mentioned he would listen arguments from all sides on additional consequences.
Lattouf – who’s of Lebanese heritage – has been a typical contributor in Australian media for years, but additionally made a reputation for herself as an activist on problems like racism, discrimination in media and psychological well being.
Prior to she had began her week-long stint as a presenter for the ABC’s Mornings radio programme in Sydney, the broadcaster had requested Lattouf to restrict her social media use and she or he agreed.
However she claimed her supervisor additionally mentioned she may percentage data from “respected” assets so on the second one day of her contract, she re-shared HRW’s Instagram put up that accused Israel of the use of hunger as a device in its warfare in Gaza – one thing the ABC itself had reported on. Israel denies the accusation.
In a while after coming off air the next day to come, Lattouf used to be instructed to close up her issues and depart, with the verdict to take away her from the airwaves promptly leaked to the media. This left her popularity in tatters, Lattouf says.
She took her case to Australia’s Honest Paintings Fee closing 12 months, which, after mediation failed, dominated that she used to be fired, paving the way in which for her motion within the Federal Court docket.
There, Lattouf’s crew argued the ABC have been influenced by way of exterior force about her appointment as a brief radio presenter, even ahead of she had began the fast contract.
Elizabeth Inexperienced, Lattouf’s supervisor, instructed the court docket that there had already been force from “upper up” to sack Lattouf ahead of the HRW put up used to be shared.
The court docket heard that ABC’s former chair Ita Buttrose had forwarded a number of emails complaining about Lattouf to senior managers.
The BBC has additionally observed dozens of WhatsApp messages from two teams that display a concerted letter-writing marketing campaign in opposition to Lattouf within the days ahead of she used to be fired.
The ABC’s barrister, Ian Neil SC, argued that Lattouf had no longer been fired and used to be merely instructed she would not wish to paintings the overall two days of her contract, announcing “we are speaking about two shifts, two systems”.
Neil additionally maintained that chopping brief the contract used to be no longer about sanctioning Lattouf, however moderately to offer protection to the popularity of the broadcaster.
“Taking any individual off air is designed to offer protection to the ABC, to not punish the worker,” Neil mentioned in ultimate arguments.
Further reporting by way of Tiffanie Turnbull.
