The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has been ordered by the federal court to pay Antoinette Lattouf £150,000 in penalties for unlawfully terminating her employment after she shared a Human Rights Watch post about Gaza. The penalty, imposed under the Fair Work Act, comes on top of £70,000 in compensation previously awarded.
Justice Darryl Rangiah found the ABC had “abjectly surrendered” to a pro-Israel lobbying campaign and sacrificed Ms Lattouf for spurious reasons without giving her a chance to defend herself. The court noted senior managers knew of an organised political campaign to have her removed from air following her Instagram post, which described Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war.
The dispute began in December 2023 when the radio presenter’s five-day contract hosting ABC Radio Sydney Mornings was cut short after three days. The ABC admitted acting unlawfully but argued for a penalty between £37,560 and £56,340, while Ms Lattouf sought £350,000.
Justice Rangiah criticised former chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, who “blithely ignored” the risk of contravening the enterprise agreement and did not consult HR or legal experts, apparently to “beat the story” published by The Australian. The court found the ABC’s apology had “its limits” and that substantial penalties were needed to ensure such conduct was not repeated.
The ABC’s managing director, Hugh Marks, acknowledged the reputational damage caused to the broadcaster. The court also noted that Ita Buttrose, the former chair, had put “significant pressure” on management to sack Ms Lattouf.
