A former ABC radio manager was not surprised that his decision to hire a fill-in host who was critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza was labelled “ill informed” by a senior executive, a court has been told.
However, she was let go following three days on air after sharing an Instagram post by Human Rights Watch saying Israel used starvation as a “weapon of war” in Gaza.
As her unlawful dismissal hearing continued in the Federal Court on Tuesday, ex-ABC head of capital city networks Steve Ahern was asked whether he was surprised by his superior’s comments that his decision to hire Lattouf was “ill informed”.
“I wasn’t surprised,” he told Lattouf’s barrister Philip Boncardo.
“I was disappointed by the characterisation of me making an ill-informed decision, but that’s the way these things go.”
He denied feeling pressure from the criticism, made by then content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor, or that he considered disciplinary action could have been taken against him as a result.
Lattouf alleges that she was fired because of her political opinion and race after the ABC bowed to pressure from pro-Israeli lobbyists who co-ordinated a campaign of complaints against her.
She is seeking compensation and penalties against the broadcaster.
While the ABC contends she was ordered not to post about the Israel-Gaza conflict during her time there, she claims she was given no such direction.
Lattouf said ABC Radio Sydney content director Elizabeth Green merely offered a suggestion to keep a low profile online but eventually agreed she could post facts from reputable sources.
In court, Ahern admitted he never specifically told Green to direct Lattouf to avoid posting anything relating to Gaza on her social media accounts.
However, he said his colleague had given “clear guidance” to the freelance journalist about her obligations to remain impartial and be careful in her social media activity.
Former ABC chair Ita Buttrose will give evidence after Ahern.
Earlier on Tuesday, the ABC withdrew its defence that Lattouf’s racial discrimination case should fail because she had not proved that there was a Lebanese, Middle-Eastern or Arab race or national extraction.
The public broadcaster also made a formal apology after confidential information relating to those who complained about Lattouf’s views on the war in Gaza were accidentally disclosed to the public.
The details, which were suppressed by the Federal Court for the individuals’ safety, were revealed on Monday in an affidavit by Mr Oliver-Taylor which attached complaints about Lattouf’s previous social media and public statements.
They labelled her as anti-Semitic and said hiring her would turn the broadcaster into a Hamas mouthpiece.
Lattouf said in her court filings that she opposed the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and supported the human rights of Palestinians.
Justice Darryl Rangiah expressed his displeasure that the details of some complainants had been made publicly viewable in the affidavit.
“I am deeply unhappy about the error made by the ABC’s legal representatives,” the judge said.
ABC barrister Ian Neil SC apologised on behalf of the organisation, saying the mistake was a result of human error.
Lawyers swiftly contacted the court once they realised the confidential information was publicly available on the Federal Court’s website, he said.
“As leading counsel responsible for the presentation of the respondent’s case, I stand before you this morning to tender my personal apology for what has happened,” Neil added.
