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Justice Darryl Rangiah said that although the decision to fire her was not racially based it was affected by her expressed views about the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Hours before she was removed, Lattouf had re-posted a Human Rights Watch item asserting that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war, a charge Israel denies.
Apology from ABC After Damages Award
Lattouf was awarded damages of A$70,000, with further compensation to be determined. The ABC initially argued the tweets contravened editorial standards, but the court ruled she had not been explicitly directed to avoid the topic. "ABC's management, in particular, former chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, took this decision based on potential public reaction and did so without identifying any actual policy breaches or providing Lattouf an opportunity to respond," the ruling said.
In a statement, new ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks conceded the organisation got it wrong, and that it raised some questions about the broadcaster's independence and internal processes.
Lattouf Replies And Adds Some Other Perspective
Outside the court, Lattouf said she was being punished for her political beliefs, and not for any rule she had broken. "Starving and killing children on purpose is a war crime," she added. "Today, this court has found that punishing someone for reporting these crimes is illegal, even when the crimes themselves are not prosecuted," he said.
The dismissal prompted a national debate about free speech, media independence and its treatment of culturally diverse staff. Justice Rangiah also noted that ABC's management was influenced by an "orchestrated campaign" against having Lattouf terminated and that, after her post, "the decision to terminate (her employment) was made within the hour".
The ABC has since reviewed its social media protocol, but the case continues to raise questions about journalistic freedom and the influence of political pressure over editorial decisions.
