Randa Abdel-Fattah sues La Trobe for ‘anti-Palestinian racism’ claim

Controversial author Dr Abdel-Fattah has announced that she is taking La Trobe University and Bendigo Council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal with a discrimination claim. 

The claim relates to the 2025 Writers’ Festival in Bendigo, where Abdel-Fattah was scheduled to speak about her book Discipline. 

She did not make the appearance after a code of conduct “instigated by La Trobe” was sent to authors by Bendigo council, “requiring a commitment to a definition of anti-semitism”, three days before the festival. The move sparked a boycott of the event over censorship concerns, and the author withdrew from the schedule.

“Universities and cultural institutions must be held accountable for their discrimination and anti-Palistinian racism,” Abdel-Fattah said in an Instagram post this week.

She added her concern that some definitions of anti semitism “are being used to silence those who speak out against Israel.”

The academic doctor concluded by thanking those who had contributed to her fundraiser for legal fees, and invited other supports help, too.

 

 

 

 

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Abdel-Fattah won't pursue Peter Malinauskas

In the same post, the Palestinian-Australian implied she won't be pursuing defamation proceedings against South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas. 

In January, Abdel-Fattah said she had sent two concerns notices to the premier, after his comments about her controversial removal from the line-up of Adelaide Writers' Week. 

The event was eventually cancelled amid a mass boycott. At the time, Abdel-Fattah referred to "many public statements" that she claimed Malinauskas made "about me and my character". 

Now she's said: "I wanted to bring a defamation case but pursuing defamation against a sitting premier has proven to carry prohibitive cost and risk. "But those of us who are committed to the decolonial recognise not all victories are won in courts."

Malinauskas on Tuesday told 891 ABC Radio Adelaide he welcomed the apparent decision not to pursue the proceedings, the ABC reports.

"I welcome the fact that it appears as though this court action against me has been dropped," he said.

“I will just maintain my position that I think people should be entitled to debate these issues at writers' weeks and other events, just as long as they respect other people's ability to be able to make a contribution from the alternate case.”