The ABC’s own goal on Antoinette Lattouf should be a moment of reflection

ABC fired the radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf. They could not give Lattouf the opportunity to respond to abuse. The relevant executives were motivated to respond to their political views on the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and focused on the pressure of pro -Israeli lobbyists. While conducting this action, ABC violated the operating agreement and the Fair Labor Law. The actions were illegal.

These statements may be ready to argue, but they are no longer ready to argue. In the Australian Federal Court, Justice was realized by Darryl Rangih as real.

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During the proceedings, ABC rejected that he was constantly illegal. Lattouf said that the race was not motivated by national landing or political opinion. Lattouf made an ordinary contract to present in the morning in ABC Radio Sydney between Monday, December 18 – December 23, 2023 Mondays. “HRW reporting hunger as a war vehicle, however, began to publish before the social media post, complaints of pro -Israeli lobbyists.

Justice Rangah said: “Complaints caused a great surprise among ABC’s top management.

ABC argued that his contract with Lattouf has made his hours effectively reduce his hours to zero. ABC’s lawyers were not obliged to offer him the work to do or the hours he would do.

Justice Rangah did not agree with ABC in most of his decision on Wednesday morning.

For ABC, one in -empty victory for the decision does not determine that none of the relevant executives fired Lattouf because of the national removal or race. Technically, he did not act in a racist way, or did not discriminate against Lattouf because of his Lebanese heritage.

I say hollow victory because it was damaged.

ABC’s lawyers were damaged when Lattouf tried to claim that the claim of racial discrimination should fail, because he did not prove that “Lebanon, the Arab or Middle East race” was. This caused fluctuations and upset during the ABC rows in the Lebanese community, and those who think that only a woman should not have to prove the existence of her own racial category and community.

ABC may then have withdrawn the argument, but it was damaged.

Damage was funded earlier in the process that ABC allowed this issue to rise to the federal court. Before the trial, Lattouf sought compensation of $ 85,000, a public apology and former state as a filling radio server.

Now, in addition to $ 70,000, ABC has been ordered to pay Lattouf for non -economic losses, and there may be financial penalties. In addition, there are legal costs exceeding $ 1 million.

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‘Disappointment and disturbing’

In the special Medialand section of the decision of this week, Marque lawyers Michael Bradley told me that ABC should never allow the issue to go to court.

“The fact that he disappeared in court is destructive [for the ABC]However, even if not, both the actions that led to the case and the behavior and defense of the case suffered a tremendous damage. He shouldn’t have let him go to court. Must have solved. He must have accepted that Antoinette had completely completed his condition, and he should stand up and only handle it in a logical way. ”

He continued: “By taking this through a trial, the administration and the board of directors of the internal functioning of the public opinion examination and regiment, most things, the ABC’yi lovers who really disappointing and disturbing the reputation and stance of the institution gave a tremendous harm.”

Therefore, in addition to the financial cost, ABC has damaged its reputation and public perceptions of its ideals, integrity and independence.

Justice Rangah’s quote in the decision will certainly lead to concerns about intervention and independence.

“Pro-Israeli lobbyists, ABC complaints inevitably, in such a public position anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli views that perceived a server’s complaints were decided to alleviate.” He said.

These concerns were repeated by Lattouf’s lawyer Josh Bornstein outside the court: “This illegal decision goes to the top of ABC.”

Indeed, former president of ABC, Ita Buttrose, former General Manager David Anderson and former head of the former chief content Chris Oliver-Taylor, decided to ignite Lattouf and finally had different activities about who was responsible for his misuse. Increased pressure and panic, perhaps the best buttrose, are summarized by the delayed late e-mail of the delayed night. “Antoinette has been changed. I’m getting an e -mail about it.” Buttrose rejected that it was a direct instruction to fire Lattouf.

During the hearing, it was not clear who would take responsibility for Lattouf’s bad treatment.

Now, it is clear that ABC is illegal. It is clear that the previous administration is willing to the cave for the pressure of lobbyists. Net audiences and taxpayers think that ABC has once again become the dark truth that ABC once again has been subjected to the operations of ABC’s operations.

So, what about now?

ABC’s new general manager Hugh Marx admitted on ABC TV that “many million dollars were spent to defend these actions and that it would be ideal if it doesn’t go to court”.

However, he rejected the idea of ​​the processes to change.

“I don’t know that we need to change our processes.

Despite this claim, in an official statement, Marx admitted that ABC’s social media rules will be shaken.

He said: “Because of the confusion of the personal use of the social media guidelines revived during the case, they have been reviewed and replaced by new public commentary instructions. We will talk more about it in the coming weeks.”

He also said: “We are sorry for the decision to remove Ms. Lattouf from the air and how the troubles reveal it. We extend our sincere apologies to Mrs. Lattouf and wish them well in their future efforts.”

ABC is 18 months when ABC fires Lattouf illegally into a panic to prevent further examination and pressure.

Eighteen months of attention and criticism in the attempt to disrupt attention and criticism increased.

How long it takes to recover the respect and reputation of ABC at that time, continues to be seen.

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