Wasim El-Haj, a Palestinian former careers adviser at the public Sydney Girls High School, has filed a case against the state of New South Wales in the Federal Court of Australia. The claim alleges that the way he was treated over wearing a keffiyeh breached racial discrimination law.
El-Haj says that on May 15, 2024, the school’s then acting principal, Geoffrey Denyer, called him into a meeting and directed him to remove the scarf. He alleges Denyer said the instruction had come from “above”, and that the keffiyeh was described as a symbol that “may cause discord”. El-Haj also says he was told that any symbol of Palestine was seen as a symbol of conflict.
He began wearing the keffiyeh at the school in January 2024, several months after Hamas’s October 7 attack and the start of the war in Gaza. El-Haj alleges he was subsequently monitored and that wearing the scarf was linked to his ability to do his job. He says he was eventually forced out of his position. In 2024, he received a careers-adviser award for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
The case will require the court to assess the applicant’s allegations and determine whether the department breached the law. It raises questions about workplace rules in public schools and the expression of cultural identity. No court ruling had been made at the time of publication.