Palestinian files lawsuit in Australia over demand not to wear keffiyeh — The Guardian
Former Sydney Girls High School careers adviser Wasim El-Haj has filed a lawsuit against the state of New South Wales in the Federal Court of Australia, alleging racial discrimination. He claims that in 2024, the administration of the public school in Sydney demanded that he not wear a keffiyeh, as the symbol could allegedly cause division. This was reported by The Guardian.
The school’s demand
El-Haj began wearing a keffiyeh — a traditional scarf that holds cultural significance for the Palestinian community — in January 2024. In his statement of claim, he said that on May 15, 2024, the school’s acting principal, Geoffrey Denyer, allegedly instructed him to remove the item of clothing. According to the claimant, Denyer also said that the instruction had come from above, possibly from the minister, and that action could be taken if he failed to comply.
On the same day, El-Haj asked for the demand to be provided in writing. An email cited in the lawsuit stated that, under the education department’s policy on controversial issues and its code of conduct, the employee was not to wear a keffiyeh at school or while performing official duties. The email explained this by the need to keep schools free of symbols that could provoke strong emotions and division.
Complaint and court proceedings
In August 2024, a New South Wales education department official, Maria Seraphim, according to El-Haj’s account, informed him of six anonymous comments. Among them was a comment about wearing a keffiyeh as a symbol of conflict, which was described as political in the submissions. The adviser’s internal complaint did not lead to the demand being withdrawn, after which he appealed the decision to the education department secretary, Murat Dizdar.
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In February 2025, Dizdar upheld the school’s position, recognizing the cultural significance of the keffiyeh for the Palestinian community. At the same time, he said that the department sought not to jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of all school communities and adhered to political neutrality in public schools.
El-Haj was on leave from May until the end of 2024, and resigned from Sydney Girls High School in March 2025. He claims that the state of New South Wales violated Section 9(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act. State authorities have not yet filed a response with the court, and the next procedural hearing is scheduled for November 3.
The New South Wales education department said it adheres to a policy of maintaining a neutral and apolitical environment in schools. According to The Guardian, the department cannot provide further comment while the case is before the court.
