Australian broadcaster, columnist and author Antoinette Lattouf has expanded her Fair Work Commission complaint, alleging her employment with the ABC was terminated because of her race.
Lattouf, who has worked on and off for the national broadcaster since 2009, was sacked two days into her short contract employment on December 20, filling in as the presenter on ABC’s Sydney Morning radio.
Her initial complaint to the Fair Work Commission, filed in the days following her termination, alleged she was sacked for expressing a political opinion.
Now, with the backing of high-profile employment compensation lawyer Josh Borstein from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Lattouf is expanding her allegation, claiming she was “sacked for expressing a political opinion and because of her race”.
In a statement originally published in The Sydney Morning Herald and later reshared on her social media, Lattouf said the ABC is no longer a safe place to work if you are a person of colour.
“I’m a big supporter of public broadcasting. I will always advocate for a well funded, fair, independent and representative ABC. Our democracy is more enriched for it,” she said.
“This is why it is disheartening to not only witness the horrendous treatment of people of colour by the ABC over the years, but now to personally – and so publicly – feel its wrath.”
What happened?
Lattouf had engaged in employment with ABC Radio in a short-term arrangement, beginning on December 18. She had been contracted to fill in for Sarah McDonald on ABC Sydney’s morning radio program, a gig she semi-regularly does, until December 22.
In her statement on Instagram, Lattouf said she was told by acting station manager Mark Spurway on December 20 that she was “sounding great” and the audience was “responding very well”.
Just one hour later, Lattouf attended a meeting with senior management at the ABC. The managers informed her of her termination effective immediately.
Management in the meeting cited a social media post she reshared on her Instagram page from the Human Rights Watch (HRW), claiming the Israeli government is using starvation as a weapon of war in the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
That same week, ABC News wrote an article on HRW’s report that made this claim.
According to Lattouf, a manager who attended the meeting approached her on her way out of the building and told her that the call was made by David Anderson, the managing director of the ABC.
The news of Lattouf being sacked by the ABC was leaked to other Australian media outlets. According to Lattouf, it was made public less than one hour after her termination meeting with ABC senior management.
“Despite the ABC’s rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, it is currently an unsafe workplace for journalists who are people of colour,” she said in her statement.
“I’m aware of a number of diverse journalists who have either resigned or are on the brink of resigning because they are unfairly scrutinised, don’t believe their employer will back them and fear they will be the next to be thrown under the bus.
“Even for non-diverse journalists, my sacking and the sacking of others has a chilling effect on journalism. People are now too scared to report without fear or favour.”
What happens now?
In December last year, shortly after her termination, Lattouf filed a complaint to the Fair Work Commission. Her complaint alleged she was terminated for sharing a political opinion.
However, she has now expanded this claim to include racial discrimination as a determining factor in the termination of her employment.
Employment lawyer Josh Bornstein is working with Lattouf on her Fair Work claim. He said the double standards for diverse journalists, like Lattouf, and non-diverse journalists are obvious in the current political climate.
It’s a privilege to represent Antoinette Lattouf in her unlawful termination case against the ABC which has now been expanded. We claim that the sacking was based on both political opinion and race. https://t.co/YpaplOI5jW
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) January 11, 2024
“Since October 7 and the ensuing conflict in the Middle East, it has become notorious in the media industry that Arab and Muslim journalists are being intimidated, censored and sacked,” Bornstein said in the statement posted by Lattouf.
“In this case we will show that the ABC has not sacked white journalists for expressing political opinion, even where those journalists worked in news and current affairs. Antoinette’s role at the ABC was not a news or current affairs role.”
Bornstein noted that Lattouf had shared a total of four posts on her social media during her short-term employment at the ABC, but she was told it was the HRW that was a breach of ABC policy.
“Then she was suddenly and humiliatingly sacked,” Bornstein said.
In the case presented to the Fair Work Commission, Bornstein and Lattouf will be seeking a “detailed, public apology” from the ABC, as well as compensation. They will also seek an offer from the ABC for a commensurate role back on air and an imposition of penalties on the ABC to ensure something like this does not occur again.
The ABC is expected to respond to Lattouf’s lawyers by January 15, before the case will be heard by the Fair Work Commission on January 18.
A spokesperson from the ABC told Women’s Agenda: “This matter is currently before the Fair Work Commission. The ABC will be submitting its response to Ms Lattouf’s claims on Monday. We welcome the opportunity to address her allegations.”