Wasim El-Haj Sues NSW Government Over Keffiyeh Ban at Sydney Girls High School
Wasim El-Haj, a Palestinian Australian former careers adviser at Sydney Girls High School, has launched a federal racial discrimination lawsuit against the state of New South Wales. The legal challenge follows his alleged directive in 2024 to stop wearing a keffiyeh—a traditional scarf with decades-long ties to the Palestinian struggle—because school administrators claimed it represented a symbol that “may cause discord.”
The case, filed in the Federal Court of Australia by El-Haj’s legal team last month, tests the boundaries of cultural expression within public institutions.
El-Haj began wearing the keffiyeh to the inner-city selective government school in January 2024, three months after Hamas launched its 7 October attacks and Israel initiated its subsequent war on Gaza. According to his statement of claim, the friction culminated on 15 May 2024 during a meeting with Geoffrey Denyer, the school’s then acting principal.
Denyer allegedly told El-Haj, “I have been directed to direct you to remove this item of clothing,” pointing directly at the scarf. The statement of claim alleges Denyer added that the directive came “from above, possibly from the minister,” and warned that action would follow non-compliance. When El-Haj asked for the directive in writing, Denyer obliged with an email sent the same day.
The email noted, “Consistent with the Department’s Controversial Issues and Code of Conduct policies, the staff member in question should be given clear advice, from you, that this item of clothing should not be worn at school, nor in the performance of any duties in connection with his employment.” Denyer added, “It is understandable that, in such times as these, feelings and emotions are strong. Yet, these environments must remain free of symbols that evoke such feelings and have the potential to trigger tension.”
During subsequent discussions, El-Haj alleges he was told that “any symbol of Palestine is seen as a symbol of conflict.” By August 2024, the dispute deepened when El-Haj met with Maria Serafim, a New South Wales Department of Education official. Serafim reportedly outlined six anonymous concerns lodged against him, including the allegation that he had worn a symbol of partisan conflict.
Appeals to Department Leadership and Subsequent Resignation
El-Haj pursued internal grievance procedures to challenge the directive, but the internal complaint failed to yield a withdrawal. He then escalated the matter, appealing directly to Murat Dizdar, the secretary of the NSW Department of Education.
In February 2025, Dizdar formally upheld the school’s decision. While acknowledging in a letter that the keffiyeh “is a garment of cultural significance for the Palestinian community,” Dizdar argued that the department could not compromise the “safety, wellbeing and security in all our school communities.”
Dizdar wrote that external occurrences, including the ongoing Middle East conflict and its resulting tragic loss of innocent lives, inevitably affect our educational institutions. He added that public schools maintain political neutrality during such operations because individuals or groups within these communities might attempt to politicize global conflicts, or because others might perceive such actions that way. The senior officers and the school advised you against wearing the keffiyeh at school specifically with this background in mind.
Following the protracted dispute and periods of taking leave during 2024, El-Haj resigned from his position at Sydney Girls High School in March 2025.
Legal Grounds and Next Steps in the Federal Court
The lawsuit contends that the state of New South Wales engaged in unlawful conduct in violation of section 9(1) of the federal Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin.
The state of New South Wales has not yet filed its formal defence in the Federal Court. Federal court records indicate that the matter is scheduled for a case management hearing on 3 November.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education reiterated the state’s position, stating that the agency remains “committed to maintaining neutral and apolitical school environments, in line with its policies.” Department representatives noted they are unable to offer further commentary while active litigation proceeds before the court.
