A Palestinian Australian careers adviser, Wasim El-Haj, has filed a racial discrimination case in the federal court against the state of New South Wales, alleging that he was directed to stop wearing a keffiyeh at a Sydney government school. The keffiyeh is a traditional scarf often associated with the Palestinian struggle for statehood. El-Haj, who worked at Sydney Girls High School, claims the then acting principal told him in 2024 that the keffiyeh was considered a symbol that "may cause discord." He argues that this directive breached the Racial Discrimination Act. El-Haj began wearing the keffiyeh in January 2024, three months after the Hamas attacks on 7 October and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza. According to El-Haj's legal statement, the acting principal, Geoffrey Denyer, met with him on 15 May 2024 and said he had been instructed to tell El-Haj to remove the keffiyeh. Denyer also suggested the instruction came "from above, possibly from the minister," and warned that action would be taken if El-Haj did not comply. In an email sent the same day, Denyer outlined the direction he had received, stating that El-Haj should be advised not to wear the keffiyeh at school or while performing his duties. The email emphasized that schools should remain free of symbols that might stir strong emotions or cause conflict. El-Haj claims that in a further conversation with Denyer, he was told that "any symbol of Palestine is seen as a symbol of conflict." Later in August 2024, El-Haj met with Maria Serafim, an official from the NSW Department of Education, who outlined six anonymous concerns, including that El-Haj had worn a symbol of "partisan conflict" by wearing the keffiyeh. Despite filing an internal complaint, El-Haj's appeal to the secretary of the NSW Department of Education, Murat Dizdar, was unsuccessful. Dizdar upheld the school's decision, acknowledging the keffiyeh's cultural significance but stating that the department prioritized the "safety, wellbeing and security" of students and staff. El-Haj took leave during 2024 and resigned from Sydney Girls High School in March 2025. He alleges that the state of NSW has violated section 9(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act. The state has not yet filed its defense in the federal court, and the case is scheduled for a case management hearing on 3 November. A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education stated that it is "committed to maintaining neutral and apolitical school environments," but the department has not made further comments while the matter is under judicial review.