Lawyer blasts ‘hypocrites’ as Scott McIntyre settles his unfair dismissal case with SBS

SACKED sports reporter Scott McIntyre has settled his unfair dismissal case with SBS over those controversial Anzac Day tweets.

Scott McIntyre’s tweets on Anzac Day last year led to his dismissal from SBS. Picture: Nathan Dyer

SACKED sports reporter Scott McIntyre has settled his unfair dismissal case with SBS, which his lawyer described as a critical test of free speech.

McIntyre, who lost his job after firing off a series of controversial Anzac Day tweets during last year’s Centenary commemorations, this morning reached a confidential settlement with the multicultural broadcaster.

Josh Bornstein of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, who represented McIntyre pro bono, tweeted about the settlement: “It has been a privilege to have represented @mcintinhos & settling his important case about free speech.”

I dedicate the settlement of Scott McIntyre's court case to the vigilantes & hypocrites who got him sacked https://t.co/HqVgDZ5ByM

— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein) April 10, 2016

He took aim at “vigilantes & hypocrites”, telling Mumbrella that this included former communications minister and now Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson.

“These are people who speak loftily about freedom of speech and when it is inconvenient to them ditch it and try and crush someone whose views they disagree with,” Mr Bornstein told Mumbrella.

“They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Mr Turnbull was forced to deny exercising undue influence over SBS when, as communications minister, he contacted the broadcaster’s management about McIntyre’s tweets.

SBS journalist Scott McIntyre

The parties, who were due back in court today, released a joint statement stating that the matter had been resolved.

“SBS acknowledges that Mr McIntyre was a well respected sports reporter with SBS for a period spanning over a decade, and SBS is disappointed that it was unable to continue with his services following his Tweets,” the statement said.

“Mr McIntyre acknowledges that the views expressed in his Tweets on 25 April 2015 were his views and that they were contentious.

“Mr McIntyre regrets any attribution of his views to SBS and acknowledges that SBS was drawn into controversy following the expression of his views.”

Here are the tweets:

The cultification of an imperialist invasion of a foreign nation that Australia had no quarrel with is against all ideals of modern society.

— Scott McIntyre (@mcintinhos) April 25, 2015

Wonder if the poorly-read, largely white, nationalist drinkers and gamblers pause today to consider the horror that all mankind suffered.

— Scott McIntyre (@mcintinhos) April 25, 2015

Remembering the summary execution, widespread rape and theft committed by these ‘brave’ Anzacs in Egypt, Palestine and Japan.

— Scott McIntyre (@mcintinhos) April 25, 2015

Not forgetting that the largest single-day terrorist attacks in history were committed by this nation & their allies in Hiroshima & Nagasaki

— Scott McIntyre (@mcintinhos) April 25, 2015

The reporter had alleged that SBS had failed to follow due process when it sacked him on April 26 last year, arguing that the broadcaster had not conducted “a proper investigation” and that he was entitled to expressing his own political opinions on Twitter.

SBS had countered that the tweets — which referred to some Australians commemorating Anzac Day as “poorly-read, largely white, nationalist drinkers and gamblers” and stated that the “largest single-day terrorist attacks in history” had been committed by Australia and its allies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki — breached its code of conduct.

The broadcaster’s social media guidelines dictate that “when communicating in either a professional or personal manner, do not act in ways likely to bring yourself or SBS into disrepute”.

McIntyre’s tweets were seen by many as disrespectful, with right-wing commentators labelling the outburst “reprehensible”.

He was fired 12 hours after posting them, with The Guardian reporting that the sacking was for refusing to take the tweets down.

Originally published as Lawyer blasts ‘hypocrites’ as Scott McIntyre settles his unfair dismissal case with SBS