Support officer Sheikh Wesam Charkawi reinstated after student protest

A support officer who was forced to work from home following a social media post in response to the stood-down Bankstown nurses has been reinstated.

A school learning support officer at a Western Sydney high school Sheikh Wesam Charkawi has been reinstated in his role after defending the stood-down nurses who allegedly refused to treat Israeli patients.

It comes after a student protest was held outside the Granville Boys High School on Wednesday demanding the return of Sheikh Charkawi, who was ordered to work from home by the NSW Education Department.

A support officer who was forced ot work from home following a social media post in response to the stood-down Bankstown nurses has been reinstated. Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Sheikh Charkawi was first told to remove a video he posted on TikTok and Instagram in response to the now-viral video of the two Bankstown nurses, who were de-registered after a video of them allegedly making anti-Semitic comments and threats about Israeli patients while wearing their NSW Health uniforms.

Both nurses have been stood down from their roles, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh has been charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to harass or cause offence.

Her colleague, Ahmad Rashad Nadir, has not been charged.

In the social media clip, Sheikh Charkawi said the comments made by the nurses were “never meant to be ­literal or intended to be a threat to patient care”, adding the issue highlighted “selective outrage” by Anthony Albanese and NSW Health Minister Ryan Park for staying silent for Israel’s actions to Palestinian people.

“We refuse to accept a political and media landscape where Muslims are only visible when are being condemned, but invisible when they are being killed,” he said.

The Department of Education first requested he remove the clip on February 18, claiming it did not comply with the “departmental and government policies” .

However, Sheikh Charkawi refused to take the clip down., with the Education Department forcing him to work from home until the issue was resolved.

Students protested the support officer’s work from home orders alongside activists.

In response to Sheikh Charkawi’s work from home orders, students and activists from the Teachers and School Staff for Palestine took to the fence of Granville Boys High School in protest.

Lined up at the gates of the schools, protesters waved Palestinian and Lebanese flags and demanded the support officer’s immediate reinstatement.

On Thursday, Teachers of Palestine NSW shared an Instagram post confirming the support office’s return to the school.

“The very strong response from the community has put pressure on the government to back off and reinstate him,” the caption read.

“This is how we fight the anti-Palestine witch hunts.”

Students gathered outside the school gates to protest the support officer’s suspension. Picture: X

Sheikh Charkawi’s lawyer Majed Kheir said the support officer did not breach the social media policy, per The Australian.

In a statement to NewsWire, a spokesperson for the Education Department confirmed Sheikh Charkawi had been reinstated in his role at the school after removing the video from his social media profile.

“Following meetings with senior officials, Mr Charkawi has been cleared by the department to return to work as a school learning support officer,” the spokesperson said.

“He has been counselled over his actions and reminded of his obligations as a department employee.

“Mr Charkawi has removed the social media video and agreed to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Conduct,” the statement read.