NSW Student Wins Settlement After Formal Ban Over Palestinian Scarf

A former New South Wales high school student has received a confidential settlement from the state’s education department after being barred from his year 12 formal for wearing a scarf displaying a Palestinian flag and keffiyeh. Jad Salamah, a student at Condell Park High School in southwest Sydney, was prevented from attending the formal in September 2024 after refusing a request from school staff to remove the double-sided scarf.

Salamah initiated legal action against the state of NSW, alleging racial discrimination. The department denied the allegations. According to a statement published on the department’s website on Monday, the matter has now been resolved following mediation. The terms of the settlement remain confidential.

The NSW Education Department stated that it “embraces cultural diversity” and demonstrates this commitment through events like Harmony Day, observed annually on March 21st. “In public schools we celebrate inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all Australians, including the traditional custodians of the land to those who have come from many cultures around the world,” the statement read. The department specifically highlighted that Harmony Day includes the wearing of cultural attire, citing examples such as the Hanbok, Idio, Kaftan, Keffiyeh, Kilt, Tallit, Yukata, cultural headdress, feather cloaks and garlands. The statement further noted that students may wish to wear attire appropriate to their culture at year 12 formals.

Efforts to reach Salamah and his family for comment were unsuccessful, according to Guardian Australia.

Giridharan Sivaraman, the race discrimination commissioner, welcomed the department’s statement regarding cultural respect and expression, but emphasized the demand for more proactive measures. “It’s not enough to talk about social cohesion and cultural appreciation, there needs to be active systems-based efforts to confront and eliminate racism so people of all cultures feel included,” he said.

Nour Salman, lead for the anti-Palestinian racism project at the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan), described the incident as a “clear case of anti-Palestinian racism.” “Asking a Palestinian student to remove a keffiyeh, a recognised cultural symbol of identity and heritage, is discrimination,” Salman stated. “No student should be excluded from their own graduation for expressing who they are. Schools are meant to protect students, not police their culture or heritage.”

A report released by Apan in September 2024 indicated a widespread increase in anti-Palestinian racism within Australian schools, particularly in NSW and Victoria, since October 2023. The report alleged that this racism was being used to “prevent and silence” discussions about the war in Gaza, creating a “climate of fear, censorship, intimidation and punishment.”

Salman also noted that the department had initially denied the allegations, and that “it should not require legal action and public scrutiny for discrimination to be acknowledged.” She added, “This outcome must set a clear precedent across Australia: Palestinian identity is a protected cultural expression and must be respected.”

Salamah previously told Nine newspapers that the experience had negatively impacted his high school memories. “I kept explaining that it’s a cultural thing that I wear on special occasions, but they kept saying that I was making a political statement in a public school and I can’t do that,” he said. “I’ve been going there since I was in year 7. It’s supposed to be a place where I feel safe, and I’m not judged for who I am, but I was wrong.”