By ABC Entertainment-Wikipedia
A journalist has won a landmark case against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), with a federal court ruling she was unfairly dismissed over a social media post about the war in Gaza.
Antoinette Lattouf, a well-known Australian journalist and media diversity advocate, said the ABC abruptly ended her short-term role as a fill-in radio presenter in December 2023 because of her political views, ethnic background, and external pressure from pro-Israel groups. Her contract was cut short just hours after she shared a Human Rights Watch (HRW) post accusing Israel of committing war crimes—allegations that Israel denies.
The ABC argued her post breached its editorial guidelines. However, in a significant ruling, Justice Darryl Rangiah determined that her dismissal was influenced by her opinions on the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. Although he rejected claims that race played a role in the decision, he stated the ABC had acted unfairly and unlawfully.
The court awarded Lattouf A$70,000 (£33,400, $45,400) in damages, with the judge saying he would consider additional penalties after further submissions. Speaking to media outside the court, Lattouf said she had been “punished for my political opinion.”
Her dismissal sparked a major backlash and internal turmoil at the ABC, raising concerns over editorial independence and how the public broadcaster supports staff from culturally diverse backgrounds.
Lattouf, who is of Lebanese descent and a prominent voice on racism, media bias, and mental health, has long been a fixture in Australian media. The ABC maintains that she was not technically fired since she was paid for her contract in full, arguing she was removed from her role to protect its reputation.
Justice Rangiah opened his ruling by describing the Israel-Gaza conflict as the most “covered, contested and controversial” story globally. He stated Lattouf had only been advised—not instructed—not to post controversial material, and criticised the ABC’s overreaction to her reposting the HRW claim that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war.
The judge found that a coordinated lobbying effort by pro-Israel activists aimed to pressure the ABC into removing Lattouf from air immediately after her appointment. Her post, while contentious, did not justify the employer’s sudden decision, Rangiah said. He called her action “ill-advised” but not in breach of any clearly defined directive.
Within an hour of her repost, senior ABC leaders moved to take her off the air. Former Chief Content Officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, who made the decision, was motivated by a fear of backlash, despite having only vague concerns about a potential policy breach. Lattouf was not told which policies she had supposedly violated and was not given a chance to defend herself. She was removed after completing her third radio shift and told to leave immediately. News of her removal quickly leaked, causing what Lattouf described as serious damage to her reputation.
After an initial win at Australia’s Fair Work Commission, she escalated the matter to the Federal Court, where her legal team argued the ABC caved under pressure from external interest groups. The court heard that then-ABC chair Ita Buttrose and former managing director David Anderson had forwarded several complaint emails about Lattouf to Oliver-Taylor. Though the judge found Oliver-Taylor acted alone, he noted that Anderson’s negative perception of Lattouf had an influence.
Following the verdict, ABC’s new Managing Director Hugh Marks acknowledged the broadcaster’s mishandling of the situation. He said the case had raised legitimate concerns about the ABC’s independence and integrity—principles essential to maintaining public trust. He added that the ABC had since updated its social media policies.
Outside the courthouse, surrounded by supporters, Lattouf condemned the war in Gaza: “Deliberately starving and killing children is a war crime,” she said. “Today, the court has found that punishing someone for sharing facts about these war crimes is also illegal.”
Israel has significantly restricted food and aid to Gaza during the conflict, at times blocking deliveries completely, most notably between March and May 2024. The International Criminal Court (ICC) recently concluded that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant could bear criminal responsibility for using starvation as a weapon of war.
Israel continues to deny the allegations, with Netanyahu calling the charges “false and absurd.”
