Australia’s national broadcaster has been ordered to pay A$150,000 (£73,435; $99,200) in penalties for unfairly sacking a presenter over a social media post about the war in Gaza.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) took fill-in radio host Antoinette Lattouf off air in December 2023 due to her political views and after lobbying from pro-Israel groups, the Federal Court found earlier this year.
Lattouf has already been awarded A$70,000 in damages, but on Wednesday Justice Darryl Rangiah said the “substantial” extra sum was needed to ensure the ABC learned its lesson.
The broadcaster has publicly apologised to Lattouf, saying it also failed its staff and audiences. Lattouf’s dismissal triggered a wave of public outrage and created turmoil at the ABC – raising questions over its independence and reviving concerns over how it supports employees, particularly those who are culturally diverse.
“The ABC let down the Australian public badly when it abjectly surrendered the rights of its employee… to appease a lobby group,” Justice Rangiah said on Wednesday.
“The public scrutiny the ABC has faced must surely have brought home to the ABC the unacceptability of its contravening conduct. Nevertheless, I consider that substantial penalties are necessary to ensure that the message is received and heeded.”
Lattouf has been a regular contributor in Australian media for years, but also made a name for herself as an activist on issues like racism, discrimination in media and mental health.
Credit: bbc.com
