A journalist named Antoinette Lattouf has emerged victorious in her lawsuit against Australia’s national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), over her termination following a social media post concerning the conflict in Gaza. Lattouf contended that she was dismissed without a legitimate reason and due process after her temporary five-day radio presenting contract was abruptly ended in December 2023. The reason cited by the ABC for her dismissal was a post shared from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that criticized Israel, which was said to have breached the corporation’s editorial guidelines. Lattouf’s lawsuit accused the ABC of firing her based on her political beliefs, race, and lobbying efforts by pro-Israel groups.
The termination caused widespread public uproar and triggered discussions about the independence and support of employees, especially those from diverse backgrounds, at the ABC. The ABC maintained that Lattouf was not fired since her contract had been paid in full. However, Justice Darryl Rangiah ruled that the ABC did terminate Lattouf’s contract due to her opinions about the Israeli military actions in Gaza. He did not uphold the claim that her termination was race-related. As a result, Lattouf was awarded A$70,000 in damages, with further discussions on penalties pending.
Lattouf’s heritage is Lebanese, and she has been a long-standing contributor to Australian media. She is also recognized for her activism on issues such as media representation and mental health. Prior to her stint on the ABC’s Mornings radio program, Lattouf agreed to limit her social media activity. She claimed her manager said sharing information from “reputable” sources was acceptable, which led her to reshare a critical HRW Instagram post. The post accused Israel of using starvation as a tool in its conflict, a point of contention as Israel denies these allegations. Following a day of broadcasting, Lattouf was instructed to leave the premises immediately, damaging her professional reputation, as the decision to terminate her was soon leaked to the media.
Lattouf’s legal team argued that the ABC’s decision was influenced by external pressure even before she started her contract. It was revealed in court that there was earlier pressure to dismiss Lattouf from high-ranking individuals within the ABC, including emails from the former chair, Ita Buttrose. Additional evidence included dozens of WhatsApp messages from two groups showing a concerted campaign against Lattouf before her dismissal. The ABC’s lawyer contended that Lattouf was simply informed she wouldn’t be needed for the final two days of her contract, stating it was about protecting the reputation of the broadcaster rather than punishing Lattouf. The court ultimately concluded that Lattouf was indeed terminated from her position.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4exrwj8pjo
