Sydney school ordered staff to remove Palestinian scarf, lawsuit alleges
A Palestinian careers adviser filed federal discrimination charges after being ordered to remove his keffiyeh by Sydney Girls High in 2024.
Wasim El-Haj, a former careers adviser at Sydney Girls High School, was told by the acting principal in May 2024 to stop wearing his keffiyeh, a traditional scarf linked to Palestinian identity. The principal said it was "a symbol of conflict" that "may cause discord."
El-Haj had begun wearing it in January 2024, months after the October 7 attacks and Israel's war in Gaza. He's now filed a federal court case claiming racial discrimination under the Racial Discrimination Act.
The NSW Department of Education upheld the school's decision in February 2025, though it acknowledged the keffiyeh's "cultural significance for the Palestinian community." El-Haj alleges the direction came from senior levels, possibly the education minister.
- May 15, 2024
- Date of direction
- Geoffrey Denyer
- Acting principal
- Sydney Girls High School
- School
- Racial Discrimination Act
- Legal basis
Why it mattersThe case tests whether schools can restrict cultural and religious dress in the name of avoiding conflict.
AustraliaThe lawsuit raises questions about free expression and discrimination protections for minority workers in NSW government schools.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 39 min ago
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