Worker sacked over neo-nazi rally conflict awarded $41,000
MELBOURNE: The Fair Work Commission has slammed a childcare centre’s “extraordinarily insensitive” response to a worker who questioned his colleague’s attendance at a neo-Nazi rally, awarding him $41,000.
Amru Mohamed Didi was awarded $41,061 in compensation, plus superannuation, after being unfairly dismissed last October, by The Grove Children’s Centre in Coburg.
Mr Didi’s dismissal was following a workplace dispute involving colleague Stella Skordos and senior management.
The case centred on a heated exchange between Mr Didi and Ms Skordos, who had attended a “March for Australia” rally on August 31, 2025 — an event that drew widespread attention due to the presence of individuals identifying as neo-Nazis.
Mr Didi challenged Ms Skordos over her attendance, telling her that participating in such a protest “makes you look like one of them”, referring to neo-Nazis and racists.
While Ms Skordos said she wasn’t directly called a neo-Nazi and racist, the Commission found it more likely Mr Didi framed his comments as a perception rather than a direct accusation.
Following the incident, Ms Skordos made a complaint to operations manager Shannon Owen-Abbotto, who, along with centre director Ruwani De Silva, met with Mr Didi later that day.
During that meeting, Mr Didi was told he had breached the centre’s values — particularly its commitment to inclusivity.
“Inclusivity means being inclusive of all opinions, including racist and Nazi opinions,” Ms Owen-Abbotto told him, according to uncontested evidence cited in the ruling.
The ruling described the altercation as a “two-way conversation” that was “unpleasant” but not serious enough to justify dismissal.
Commissioner Redford described that directive as “extraordinarily insensitive, humiliating and harsh”, particularly given Mr Didi’s Maldivian heritage and his evidence that he had experienced racism.
The Commission found that Ms Abbotto ultimately made the decision to terminate Mr Didi’s employment but did so without speaking directly to him, Ms Skordos, or any other staff who witnessed the exchange.
Instead, she relied on information from Ms Owen-Abbotto and Ms De Silva — a process the Commission found led to key errors.
“Her decision was therefore not ‘well-founded’ or ‘sound’,” the ruling stated, noting it was based on the incorrect belief Mr Didi had admitted to calling Ms Skordos a neo-Nazi.
Commissioner Redford also ruled the centre’s actions were “extremely harsh”, criticising both the handling of the incident and the process that led to Mr Didi’s summary termination by Approved Provider Daniela Abbotto.
Mr Didi was dismissed effective immediately on October 22, 2025, after being called into a meeting with Ms Owen-Abbotto and Ms De Silva, with no prior opportunity to respond to the allegations.
The centre argued his conduct amounted to serious misconduct, claiming it caused “extreme distress” and posed a risk to workplace safety.
However, the Commission rejected that characterisation, finding the exchange — while offensive — did not meet the threshold for dismissal.
It also found Mr Didi was unreasonably denied a support person during the initial meeting, after requesting colleague Ellie Williams.
The broader context of the protest was also examined, with evidence showing Ms Skordos had attended near the front of the rally and filmed parts of it, including a speech by a far-right extremist linked to a neo-Nazi group.
Ultimately, the Commission concluded there was no valid reason for dismissal and that multiple procedural failures compounded the unfairness of the decision.
Mr Didi, who had worked at the centre since 2021 and was considered a senior and capable educator, was not reinstated but awarded compensation for lost income.
The ruling noted the sudden nature of his dismissal likely caused reputational damage, particularly in the early childhood education sector, where he has since struggled to find work.
Both the parties have been contacted, but did not respond to requests for comment.
