Leaked WhatsApp chat emerges as sacked ABC radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf fires shot at national broadcaster

Sacked radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf has accused the ABC of being spooked into firing her by Jewish lawyers, based on leaked WhatsApp messages.

Sacked radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf has accused the ABC of being spooked into firing her by Jewish lawyers playing a game of “bluff” based on leaked WhatsApp messages.

The broadcaster and author has accused the ABC of “racism” and discriminating against people of Arab and Muslim backgrounds in a Fair Work Commission complaint after she was sacked for social media posts.

Now new WhatsApp messages from some members of a 156-strong group called Lawyers for Israel have emerged detailing the constant pressure on ABC management to deal with Ms Lattouf.

In one text, a lawyer writes “why does this woman have a radio program” and suggests the ABC should be warned legal action could follow.

“It’s important ABC hears from not just individuals in the community but specifically lawyers so they feel there is an actual legal threat,” the message reads.

“I have basically written to them and told them I expect a proper response, not a generic one, by COB today or I would look to engage senior counsel.

“I know there is probably no actionable offence against the ABC but I didn’t say I would be taking one – just investigating one. I have said that they should be terminating her employment immediately.”

Antoinette Lattouf is suing the ABC for unfair dismissal over her social media posts. Picture: Instagram

New WhatsApp messages from a 156-strong group called Lawyers for Israel have emerged detailing the constant pressure on ABC management to deal with Ms Lattouf. Picture: The Age

In another post a member of the group states, “Why is the ABC allowing this woman to host a radio show?.”

“Exactly, which is why we need to stamp it out,” another member of the group responds.

Dozens of leaked text messages first obtained by The Age newspaper reveal that a group called Lawyers for Israel co-ordinated a letter-writing campaign calling for her to be sacked and hinted at legal action if she was not.

Nicky Stein, a conveyancing lawyer involved in the WhatsApp group, was quoted by The Age newspaper as saying that the group was simply designed for lawyers concerned about Israel and anti-Semitism.

“The suggestion that there was a co-ordinated campaign to get (Lattouf) sacked is fanciful,” she said.

In one message, the Executive Council of Jewry’s deputy president Robert Goot writes that he has word that Ms Lattouf will be “gone from morning radio by Friday”.

There is no suggestion however that the informal Lawyers for Israel group is affiliated with any recognised Australian Jewish advocacy group.

In the messages, Ms Lattouf’s lawyer Josh Bornstein, who is Jewish, is described as a “traiter” (sic).

“One of the most disturbing features of the lawyers’ group that targeted @antoinette_news was the suggestion of contriving some sort of legal threat to bluff the ABC,” Mr Bornstein wrote in response to the story today on X.

Ms Lattouf responded that the plan seemed to work with her employment terminated before she engaged legal counsel and commenced her own proceedings.

“And it seems the bluff paid off,” she said. “In the short term.”

Nicky Stein, a conveyancing lawyer involved in the WhatsApp group, said the group was simply designed for lawyers concerned about anti-Semitism. Picture: The Age

Accusing the ABC of being “unsafe” for people of colour, Lattouf claims other journalists are on the brink of quitting after management threw them “under the bus” over strict rules about commenting on the Israel-Hamas war.

“Even for non-diverse journalists, my sacking and the sacking of others has a chilling effect on journalism. People are now too scared to report without fear or favour,” Ms Lattouf said.

“Despite the ABC’s rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, it is currently an unsafe workplace for journalists who are people of colour.”

Sacked after just three shifts filling in as a presenter on ABC Radio Sydney’s morning show, the journalist has now expanded her legal claim to include racial discrimination.

She understands the termination of her employment related to her posts about the Israel-Hamas war on social media.

The day before she was sacked she highlighted a Human Rights Watch social media post alleging the Israeli government is using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

Ms Lattouf says in the claim that she was told by acting station manager Mark Spurway on December 20 that she was “sounding great” and that the audience was “responding very well” but an hour later was sacked.

“I’m aware of several diverse journalists who have either resigned or are on the brink of resigning because they are unfairly scrutinised and don’t believe their employer will back them and fear they will be next to be thrown under the bus,” she said.

Lattouf has accused the ABC of ‘racism’ and discriminating against people of Arab and Muslim backgrounds in a Fair Work Commission complaint. Picture: Instagram

Lattouf is the author of the book How to Lose Friends and Influence White People which examines systematic racism in the media.

She has now engaged Australia’s leading workplace lawyer Josh Bornstein and expanded her Fair Work Commission complaint against the ABC to allege she was subjected to racial discrimination because of her ethnicity.

In a statement, Maurice Blackburn said it would be alleging the public broadcaster systemically discriminates against people with Arab or Muslim backgrounds as well as other people of colour.

“Her dismissal was leaked to rival media outlets with an article published within an hour of her sacking and before she had even arrived home,” the statement said,

Mr Bornstein said Ms Lattouf’s treatment was a clear breach of the Fair Work Act.

“The claim has now been amended to reflect that Antoinette Lattouf alleges that she was sacked by the ABC because she expressed a political opinion and also because of her race. “Since October 7 and the ensuing conflict in the Middle East, it has become notorious in the media industry that Arab and Muslim journalists are being intimidated, censored and sacked,” Mr Bornstein said.

“In this case we will show that the ABC has not sacked white journalists for expressing political opinion, even where those journalists worked in news and current affairs. Antoinette’s role at the ABC was not a news or current affairs role. She shared four posts during her employment and was told that sharing the Human Rights Watch post was somehow a breach of the ABC’s social media policy. Then she was suddenly and humiliatingly sacked.

“We are seeking a detailed, public apology and compensation for harm to reputation and for distress and humiliation. In addition, Antoinette will seek an order that the ABC offer her a commensurate role back on air, as she is passionate about the importance of a representative public broadcaster. Finally, we are also seeking the imposition of penalties on the ABC to deter it from repeating this conduct.”