Lattouf alleges that Elizabeth Green,the station’s content director,gave the direction to terminate her contract prematurely.
“It was above me,it was David Anderson. I know I shouldn’t be telling you this,” the application alleges Green was quoted saying to Lattouf.
The broadcaster declined to comment.
Australia’s media union said on Thursday that the ABC’s decision to remove Lattouf over social media posts about the Israel-Hamas conflict was “incredibly disturbing”.
“The decision to sack Antoinette Lattouf from her role as an ABC radio presenter over sharing a post from a reputable human rights organisation is incredibly disturbing,” the Media,Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said.
The ABC’s MEAA house committee also released a statement on Thursday,saying colleagues from diverse backgrounds were disproportionately the target of attacks from the public,and they felt unsupported by the broadcaster’s management and board.
“To our culturally and linguistically diverse colleagues:you are not alone,we have your back,” the committee said.
The committee convened on Thursday afternoon,and one member,speaking anonymously to talk openly about the situation,told this masthead there was “enormous disquiet” within the broadcaster over the decision.
The ABC’s Melbourne office in Southbank was vandalised on Friday morning,with the phrase “tell the truth about Palestine” spray-painted on the exterior of the building.
MEAA acting chief executive Adam Portelli said Australians deserved and expected an ABC that was home to a range of ideas and opinions reflective of Australian society.
“The ABC should be backing its own employees when they come under attack,” Portelli said.
The ABC is yet to comment after an initial statement from a spokesperson on Wednesday.
“ABC Sydney casual presenter Antoinette Lattouf will not be back on air for her remaining two shifts this week,” the spokesperson said.
Employment and industrial relations lawyer Josh Bornstein said on social media platform X that one of the issues raised is whether Lattouf was sacked for her political opinion,in breach of s772(1) (f) of the Fair Work Act,which deals with unlawful terminations.
Bornstein actedfor SBS journalist Scott McIntyre after he was dismissed by the broadcaster over aseries of tweets on Anzac Day in 2015. Bornstein said it was the provision invoked by McIntyre when he was sacked by SBS.
On Thursday,Lattouf announced she would host a new podcast titledThe Antoinettes,launching soon via DM Podcasts.
She was also one of more than 300 journalists – including some fromThe Sydney Morning Herald andThe Age – who signed an open lettercalling for greater scrutiny on the reporting of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. She also co-authored a story forCrikey on December 13 calling into question reports of protesters chanting “gas the Jews”during an October 9 rally outside the Sydney Opera House.
In August,veteran broadcaster Stan Grant said the ABC was failing First Nations staff and people of colour. The comments came days after Grant exited the ABC this year after a tumultuous few months,standing down as host ofQ+A following attacks after an appearance during the ABC’s coverage of the coronation of King Charles.