A Palestinian careers adviser who was allegedly ordered to stop wearing a keffiyeh at a Sydney government school, with claims that the traditional scarf was viewed as a symbol of potential discord, has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in the Federal Court against the state of New South Wales.
Wasim El-Haj, a former careers adviser at the inner-city selective Sydney Girls High School, alleges that the then-acting principal instructed him in 2024 to cease wearing the keffiyeh, citing it as a symbol of conflict. El-Haj claims the state’s actions are unlawful and violate the Racial Discrimination Act.
El-Haj began wearing the keffiyeh—a traditional scarf deeply connected to the decades-long struggle for a Palestinian state—at the school in January 2024, three months after the Hamas October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
In his statement of claim, filed in the Federal Court last month, El-Haj alleges that Geoffrey Denyer, the then-acting school principal, met with him on May 15, 2024, and explicitly directed him to remove the garment, stating, “I have been directed to direct you to remove this item of clothing.”
The statement of claim further alleges that Denyer indicated the directive came “from above, possibly from the minister,” and warned that disciplinary action would be taken if El-Haj did not comply.
Later that same day, after El-Haj requested the directive be put in writing, Denyer sent an email outlining the specific terms of the instruction he had received.
“Consistent with the Department’s Controversial Issues and Code of Conduct policies, the staff member in question should be given clear advice… that this item of clothing should not be worn at school, nor in the performance of any duties in connection with his employment. That advice should be complied with immediately,” the email stated.
“It is understandable that, in such times as these, feelings and emotions are strong. However, our schools need to remain free of symbols which stir these emotions, and which may cause discord.”
El-Haj alleges that in a subsequent conversation, Denyer reiterated that “any symbol of Palestine is seen as a symbol of conflict.”
In August 2024, El-Haj met with Maria Serafim, an official with the NSW Department of Education, who detailed six anonymous complaints against him. These concerns included allegations that wearing the keffiyeh constituted displaying a symbol of “partisan conflict.”
El-Haj filed an internal complaint regarding the directive, but it was not withdrawn. The careers adviser subsequently appealed the decision to Murat Dizdar, the secretary of the NSW Department of Education.
In response, Dizdar upheld the school’s decision. In a letter to El-Haj dated February 2025, he acknowledged that the keffiyeh “is a garment of cultural significance for the Palestinian community,” but asserted that the department could not compromise the “safety, wellbeing, and security in all our school communities.”
“Unfortunately, our schools are not immune to external events, such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with the tragic loss of innocent lives,” he stated.
“Regrettably, within our school communities, some individuals and groups may seek to politicise global conflicts, or others may form that perception. As such, we always remain politically neutral in public schools when such events can impact operations.”
“It is with this context that senior officers and the school advised you not to wear the keffiyeh to school.”
El-Haj took leave from his position from May 2024 until the end of that year, subsequently resigning from Sydney Girls High School in March 2025.
El-Haj alleges that the state of New South Wales has engaged in unlawful conduct under section 9(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act.
The state of New South Wales has yet to file its defense in the Federal Court.
According to federal court records, the matter is scheduled for its next case management hearing on November 3.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education stated that the department remains “committed to maintaining neutral and apolitical school environments, in line with its policies.”
Guardian Australia understands that the department is unable to make further comments while the matter is pending before the court.
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