Students protest at Sydney school after Muslim staffer told to work from home

Students protested outside their public high school on Wednesday morning in defence of a staff member who was told to work from home after downplaying antisemitic comments made by two Sydney nurses who allegedly threatened to kill Israeli patients.

Granville Boys High School student support officer Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, who is also a convener of Muslim Vote, was “counselled about his obligations” by the NSW Education Department after he took to social media to say the nurses “never meant to be literal or intended to be a threat to patient care”.

Students protesting at Granville Boys High School on Wednesday.

In a TikTok video, Charkawi accused political leaders of “selective moral outrage” after footage emerged of nurses from Bankstown Hospital allegedly saying they would refuse to treat and threatening to kill Israeli patients.

One nurse, Sarah Abu Lebdeh, has since been charged by police.

Charkawi met senior education department officials last Tuesday where he was told to “temporarily work from an alternate location” after his social media posts allegedly breached the education department’s social media policy and code of ethics.

Department officials told Charkawi to remove the posts. They have since been deleted. Charkawi has worked for Granville Boys High for more than a decade, is a prayer group leader at the school, and is a member of the Australian National Imams Council.

Students protest at Granville Boys High on Wednesday.

The decision prompted the “snap” protest about 9am on Wednesday morning at the front of Granville Boys High

Dozens of students were heard in a video chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is most great) and “Free Palestine”, as speeches by protesters praised Charkawi. Numerous students filmed the scene with their phones.

More students lined the footpath outside the school, while adults wearing “Teachers for Palestine” shirts stood outside the gates. Footage of the protest was published on the Teachers for Palestine Instagram account. Teachers instructed the protesting students to go to class.

NSW Education Minister Prue Car said: “Schools are places of learning, not places of protest. The best place for students in school is in class learning. That was not the case here and that is not acceptable.

Sheikh Wesam Charkawi is a student support officer at Granville Boys High and the convener of Muslim Vote.Credit: SMH

“I am advised that there will be a full school assembly tomorrow morning where those expectations will be reinforced to the entire student body. Any student who does not comply with these expectations will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action from the school.

“It is my expectation that anyone who works in a NSW public school performs their duties impartially, apolitically and professionally as set out in the department’s code of conduct.”

The Muslim Vote, backed by Charkawi, has previously labelled several cabinet ministers as “weak on Palestine”, and has threatened to run candidates against Labor at the election.

In response to the protest, NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said there was an antisemitism problem in some schools.

“We have to stamp down on that and we have to keep politics out of schools,” he told 2GB’s Clinton Maynard.

Students at Granville Boys High protested on Wednesday against the NSW Education Department’s decision.Credit: Sam Mooy

“People are entitled to their own views on what is happening in the Middle East, but that can’t infect school playgrounds or schools, let alone hospitals. This protest should not have happened, certainly not on school grounds.”

Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said it was “outrageous, scandalous and sad that children at a taxpayer-funded school were exploited as props at a divisive political rally”.

“Serious questions need to be asked about how this was allowed to proceed.

“For how much longer are we going to tolerate teachers employed by the public service misusing their positions under the banner of ‘Teachers for Palestine’? We need to confront the reality that we are facing a campaign designed to disrupt and destabilise all aspects of Australian life – including our schools.”

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said all of their employees have been reminded of their duty to uphold the reputation of the department as apolitical and impartial.

“Any student who did not follow directions from staff will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action,” the spokesman said.

NSW Education Department secretary Murat Dizdar last week emailed all public school staff saying their role as public sector education employees must be balanced “with our right to participate in political and community activities in a personal capacity”.

In a joint letter to public service employees last week, NSW Premier’s Department secretary Simon Draper and NSW Public Service Commissioner Kathrina Lo said public sector staff have “a duty to uphold the reputation of your department and the government sector as apolitical, impartial and professional”.

“This includes also in a private capacity in public forums, on social media, or when engaging in political or social issues. You have a right to express your views and support causes, but always with a mind to how it might impact on your role as a public servant and trust in our institutions by all members of the community,” the letter said.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.