Student banned from Year 12 formal over keffiyeh settles case against NSW education department | Sydney

A former Year 12 student in New South Wales has reached a settlement with the state’s education department after being barred from his school formal for wearing a scarf displaying a Palestinian flag and keffiyeh.

Student Banned From Formal Over Scarf

Jad Salamah was asked by staff at Condell Park high school in southwest Sydney to remove the double-sided scarf during his graduation ceremony in September 2024, but he refused. As a result, he was prevented from attending his school formal.

Salamah initiated legal action against the state of NSW, alleging racial discrimination, which the department denied. Following mediation, a confidential settlement was reached, resolving the matter, the department said in a statement published Monday.

The department stated it embraces cultural diversity, highlighting its annual Harmony Day on March 21. “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’s statement further explained that Harmony Day promotes cultural respect and celebration, including the wearing of cultural attire. Examples provided included the Hanbok, Idio, Kaftan, Keffiyeh, Kilt, Tallit, Yukata, cultural headdress, feather cloaks and garlands, and that students may wish to wear attire appropriate to their culture at Year 12 formals.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) described the incident as a “clear case of anti-Palestinian racism,” with project lead Nour Salman stating that asking a Palestinian student to remove a keffiyeh is discriminatory. “No student should be excluded from their own graduation for expressing who they are,” she said.

Apan reported in September that anti-Palestinian racism has become widespread in Australian schools since October 2023, particularly in NSW and Victoria, and was being used to “prevent and silence” discussion of the war in Gaza.

Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman welcomed the department’s statement on cultural respect but called for “anti-racism action so that something like this doesn’t happen again.” He emphasized the need for “active systems-based efforts to confront and eliminate racism.”

Salamah previously told Nine newspapers that the experience had “ruined my high school memories,” stating he was told his scarf was a political statement and that the school should be a safe place where he wouldn’t be judged.

Salman added that it “should not require legal action and public scrutiny for discrimination to be acknowledged” and that the outcome must set a precedent that Palestinian identity is a protected cultural expression.