Court win for Islamic school principal clears way for return to job

In short:

Sheikh Abdulghani Albaf stood down as principal of Young's New Madinah College earlier this year, pending an investigation into alleged antisemitic commentary on social media.

The Supreme Court has ruled the state's education standards authority did not give him due procedural fairness.

What's next?

Sheikh Albaf's lawyer says his client hopes to return to his role as principal at the school.

A New South Wales school principal at the centre of an investigation over alleged antisemitic comments could resume his role after a court ruling in his favour.

Sheikh Abdulghani Albaf took the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the education minister to court over a finding earlier this year that he did not "meet the fit and proper requirements" of being principal of the New Madinah College at Young.

The Supreme Court has ruled he was not granted procedural fairness during an investigation of alleged antisemitic comments on social media.

Sheikh Albaf's lawyer Stephen Blanks said his client welcomed the ruling.

"The court is absolutely correct in saying the committee failed to discharge its duties appropriately," he said.

"He gave an undertaking in January, well before NESA's decision, that he will not make any further social media posts and he's complied with that undertaking.

"Sheikh Albaf hopes he can now return to his position as principal of New Madinah College and continue his positive work with the school."

The finding came after a lengthy investigation by NESA into the K-10 school, which teaches students the Koran, the Arabic language and Islamic values as well as core subjects.

It followed a 2025 investigation by the NSW and federal education departments into comments about Zionism made over several years from an account bearing the name of Sheikh Albaf.

In February NESA informed the school it risked being deregistered if it did not remove Sheikh Albaf from his position.

In her judgement, Acting Justice Monika Schmidt AM found Sheikh Albaf had been denied procedural fairness by NESA and its Registration and Accreditation Committee because it did not disclose its findings and provide him an opportunity to be heard prior to adopting them.

"I have concluded the Committee’s determination must be set aside, it will have to revisit its determination in light of all the relevant information it receives," she said.

"If the result of its further decision-making process is a recommendation to the Minister that the College’s registration be cancelled, because Sheikh Albaf is not a fit and proper person, both he and the College will have a right to pursue a review of that decision."

Sheikh Albaf stood himself down from his role as the school's principal in January this year.

Acting Justice Schmidt noted that Sheikh Albaf remained in that position but was no longer being paid by the college, and that a decision about his ongoing employment was paused while the legal proceedings were being heard.

She noted that NESA's investigation followed enquiries it received from the media about Sheikh Albaf after the December 2025 Bondi attack.

Her findings also noted "the Sheikh does accept that he should not have used intemperate language, as he did in some of his posts".

In a statement to the ABC, a NESA spokesperson said it acknowledged today's judgement by the NSW Supreme Court.

The director the New Madinah College board has been contacted for comment.