ABC ordered to pay A$150,000 in penalties over Gaza post firing

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation was ordered to pay A$150,000 in penalties after a Federal Court found it unfairly dismissed presenter Antoinette Lattouf over a social media post related to the war in Gaza. Justice Darryl Rangiah issued the ruling on Wednesday, adding the substantial penalty to the previously awarded damages of A$70,000. The court said the additional amount was necessary to ensure the broadcaster learns from the conduct and to deter similar behavior in the future.

Lattouf’s dismissal occurred in December 2023, when the fill-in radio host was removed from ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings after three shifts. The decision to pull her off the air was leaked to the media almost immediately. The court heard that Lattouf had shared a post from Human Rights Watch accusing Israel of using starvation as a tool of war. Israel disputed the claim, though the International Criminal Court later said it had “reasonable grounds” to investigate the allegation. The ABC argued at trial that Lattouf had been instructed not to discuss the war on social media and that her post breached the broadcaster’s editorial policy. However, Justice Rangiah found she was never given a formal direction not to post and that she was fired with “no more than a suspicion” that she may have breached policy, with no opportunity to defend herself.

The judge described the affair as the result of an “orchestrated” campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists to remove Lattouf from the airwaves from the outset of her employment, and he said she was “sacrificed” by ABC management in an effort to placate critics. He added that the ABC and others cannot treat penalties as a price to pay for staving off criticism and that the broadcaster had not sufficiently investigated who leaked the sacking or why. The ruling signaled that public scrutiny of the case must have underscored the unacceptability of the broadcaster’s conduct, the judge said, while noting that the public apology the ABC issued fell short of fully addressing the breach.

The penalties require payment within 28 days and come after a separate damages decision in which Lattouf was already awarded A$70,000 for lost wages and related harms. The combined action underscores ongoing concerns about editorial independence at the ABC and how the broadcaster supports employees, particularly those who are culturally diverse, amid political pressure and activism surrounding reporting on Israel and Gaza. The court’s decision emphasizes that employers should not sacrifice staff rights to appease lobby groups or public controversy, and it calls on the ABC to take clearer, enforceable steps to protect workers from politically driven coercion.

Lattouf has been a regular contributor to Australian media for years and also built a profile as an activist focusing on racism, discrimination in media, and mental health. Her case has reignited debates about the balance between newsroom guidelines and the rights of journalists to engage on public issues on personal platforms. While the broadcaster has publicly apologized and acknowledged shortcomings in its handling of the incident, the decision highlights enduring questions about how the ABC maintains credibility and independence as a public broadcaster in a charged political environment.

As reflections on the incident continue, observers say the ruling may prompt broader reforms within the ABC’s employment practices and social-media policies. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of equating public criticism with a breach of editorial standards, particularly in regard to content surrounding conflict and human rights reporting. The case remains a touchstone for discussions about how institutions balance newsroom autonomy, staff rights, and community expectations in a highly polarized media landscape.