Antoinette Lattouf has won a high-profile legal battle against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, after a federal judge ruled that she was unfairly dismissed over a social media post about the war in Gaza.

The court found that the ABC ended her contract without proper reason or due process, just hours after she shared a Human Rights Watch post critical of Israel’s military campaign.

Lattouf, a prominent journalist and media advocate, was hired on a short five-day contract as a fill-in radio presenter in December 2023. But after only three days on air, she was abruptly removed from her role.

The ABC claimed her repost of the Human Rights Watch statement—which accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon in Gaza—breached its editorial policy. However, the court disagreed.

Justice Darryl Rangiah ruled that the ABC had indeed sacked Lattouf and awarded her A$70,000 in damages.

The judge said the dismissal was linked to her views on the conflict in Gaza, not her race, dismissing one part of Lattouf's claims. “I was punished for my political opinion,” Lattouf said outside court. “I will have more to say in due time.”

The decision comes after months of public controversy and internal unrest at the national broadcaster.

Lattouf’s firing sparked criticism over ABC’s independence and its treatment of culturally diverse staff. Lattouf, who is of Lebanese background, has been known for her work on racism and media diversity in Australia.

During the case, the ABC maintained that Lattouf was not dismissed, arguing they had paid out her full contract and simply didn’t require her for the remaining two days. “We’re talking about two shifts, two programs,” said barrister Ian Neil.

He insisted the move was intended to protect the ABC’s reputation, not punish Lattouf.

But the judge found otherwise. He said ABC executives had reacted in panic following Lattouf’s repost, and that there had been an “orchestrated campaign by pro-Israel lobbyists” to remove her from the air even before she started.

The decision to cut her contract came within an hour of her post going live, the court heard.

Justice Rangiah also noted that Lattouf had only been “advised” not to post controversial content, and was not given a direct order.

He described her decision to share the post as “ill-advised and inconsiderate of her employer” but ruled it was not enough to justify termination.

The court heard that the ABC's leadership, including former chair Ita Buttrose, was under pressure from lobbying emails and coordinated online campaigns demanding Lattouf’s removal.

Dozens of WhatsApp messages submitted to the court showed an organised effort to have her taken off air.

The judge said Chris Oliver-Taylor, who was the broadcaster’s chief content officer at the time, made the decision based on suspicion rather than clear policy violations, acting quickly to “mitigate the anticipated deluge of complaints and criticism.”

After being told to leave following her third morning shift, news of Lattouf’s removal was leaked to the media almost immediately, leaving her reputation “in tatters,” she said.

Lattouf first brought her complaint to the Fair Work Commission, which ruled she had been sacked, allowing her to proceed with legal action in the Federal Court.

Her lawyer said the ruling showed she had “emphatically” won the case and warned that further penalties could follow. He added that the judgment “goes right to the top of the ABC” and accused the broadcaster of continuing to blacklist Lattouf.

Justice Rangiah said he would hear more arguments from both sides on possible further penalties in due course.