ABC executive Christopher Oliver-Taylor ‘under pressure’ from Ita Buttrose

Christopher Oliver-Taylor was under pressure to sack Antoinette Lattouf after Ita Buttrose made clear she was ‘deeply unhappy’ with action taken on the stand-in radio host, the Federal Court has heard.

Antoinette Lattouf arrives at the Federal Court. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

The ABC executive responsible for sacking Antoinette Lattouf was under a “great deal of pressure” after chair Ita Buttrose forwarded him a “big bunch” of complaints about the stand-in radio host, the Federal Court has heard.

Then-chief content officer Christopher Oliver-Taylor, giving evidence in Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case against the ABC, told the court it was “unusual” for Ms Buttrose to email him directly with complaints from disgruntled listeners taking issue with Lattouf’s views on the Israel-Gaza war.

He said he was “very confused” when trying to balance the concerns of Ms Buttrose and then-managing director David Anderson with advice from editorial director Simon Melkman that there was no good reason for Lattouf to be taken off air.

Mr Oliver-Taylor made the decision to terminate the stand-in-presenter’s employment three days into her five-day contract in December 2023 after learning she had shared an Instagram post from Human Rights Watch alongside the caption: “HRW reporting starvation as a tool of war”.

The Federal Court heard Mr Oliver-Taylor had received text messages from Mr Anderson saying the public broadcaster had an “Antoinette problem” because of her socials being filled with “anti-Semitic hatred”.

Later, Ms Buttrose began forwarding Mr Oliver-Taylor various complaints made directly to the ABC from listeners concerned with Lattouf’s views on the Israel-Gaza war shared on social media.

ABC chief content officer Christopher Oliver-Taylor arrives at Federal Court. Picture: NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

The views of Ms Buttrose and Mr Anderson were at odds with the advice of Mr Melkman who told Mr Oliver-Taylor there was “no basis” for the ABC to remove Lattouf from her on-air position.

Lattouf’s barrister, Oshie Fagir, suggested Mr Oliver-Taylor was under a “great deal of pressure” and stuck “between a rock and a hard place” on how to handle the situation.

“I was getting very confused and concerned as to what we should do,” Mr Oliver-Taylor said.

The court was read an email from Mr Oliver-Taylor to Ms Buttrose in which he apologised for the unfolding situation. In response, Ms Buttrose wrote back: “Goes with the job, Chris. Think we’ll keep getting these complaints until Antoinette leaves”.

“I agree, we have been left in an untenable position on how to resolve and are working to find the best solution to this predicament,” Mr Oliver-Taylor replied to Ms Buttrose. “Again I apologise to you, David and the board for putting you in this position.”

Mr Fagir suggested Ms Buttrose was “very unhappy” with the way he was handling the situation. Mr Oliver-Taylor disagreed, but said he thought it was “unusual” that he was named as the person responsible for the ongoing situation.

When Mr Fagir suggested he was put in a “deeply unfair position” by Ms Buttrose and Mr Anderson, Mr Oliver-Taylor said there was “pressure from above”.

Former ABC chair Ita Buttrose. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Earlier, Mr Oliver-Taylor conceded it was “highly atypical” for senior ABC staff to have scrutinised Lattouf’s conduct as a casual employee, but stopped short of admitting the ABC’s treatment of Lattouf was “abnormal”.

In its defence, the ABC claims Mr Oliver-Taylor dismissed Lattouf for making the post despite being given a direction from her line manager, Elizabeth Green, to avoid sharing anything relating to the war while engaged with ABC Radio Sydney.

Lattouf claims she and Ms Green agreed she was allowed to post “factual information from reputable sources like Amnesty International”.

Asked by Mr Fagir whether it was “highly atypical for you as chief content officer to be scrutinising the conduct of a casual employee engaged to work for five days at Radio Sydney”, Mr Oliver-Taylor responded: “That is correct”.

But when Mr Fagir suggested the way the ABC dealt with Lattouf in that week was “highly abnormal” Mr Oliver-Taylor disagreed.

Mr Oliver-Taylor said he had become concerned there could be a “perception of bias” if Lattouf remained on the air.

“I understood that there was a view Ms Lattouf held which … she had published,” he said. “It was very clear she had published various things in the previous weeks leading up to her engagement with he ABC and then during her engagement with the ABC which meant there was a perception of bias for ABC Radio.”

Late in the day, Mr Oliver-Taylor avoided taking full responsibility for the decision to sack Lattouf.

Mr Fagir put to Mr Oliver-Taylor that if “anyone could answer her questions as to how she came to be off-air, it was you”.

“One of a few people that could,” Mr Oliver-Taylor responded.

The hearing will continue on Tuesday.