The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has been mandated to pay A$150,000 in penalties for the unjust dismissal of presenter Antoinette Lattouf, following a controversial social media post related to the Gaza conflict. The Federal Court ruled earlier this year that Lattouf was removed from her role as a fill-in radio host in December 2023 due to her political stance and pressure from pro-Israel groups. While Lattouf had already received A$70,000 in damages, Justice Darryl Rangiah emphasized the necessity of the additional ‘substantial’ penalty to ensure the ABC learns from its mistakes. The broadcaster has since issued a public apology to Lattouf, acknowledging its failure towards both its staff and audiences. Lattouf’s dismissal sparked widespread public outrage and internal turmoil at the ABC, raising concerns about its independence and support for culturally diverse employees. Justice Rangiah criticized the ABC for surrendering employee rights to appease a lobby group, stating that the public scrutiny should have highlighted the unacceptability of its actions. Lattouf, a seasoned media contributor and activist on issues like racism and mental health, was hired for a week-long stint on ABC Radio Sydney’s Mornings show but was dismissed after three shifts. The decision to remove her was leaked to the media shortly after she shared a Human Rights Watch post accusing Israel of using starvation as a war tactic, an allegation Israel denies but which the International Criminal Court has deemed credible. The ABC claimed Lattouf violated its editorial policy by discussing the war on social media, but Justice Rangiah found no evidence she was instructed not to post. He described her Instagram story as ‘ill-advised’ but noted her dismissal was based on a mere suspicion of policy breach, with no opportunity for defense. The judge also highlighted an ‘orchestrated’ campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists to remove Lattouf from the outset, accusing ABC management of sacrificing her to mitigate criticism. He stressed that penalties should not be seen as a cost of avoiding criticism and criticized the ABC for failing to investigate the leak of Lattouf’s dismissal. The case has had ‘very significant consequences’ for Lattouf, with the court ordering the penalty to be paid within 28 days.