The ABC's former chair challenged a decision to keep a casual radio host on air despite management finding her criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza had not breached the broadcaster's impartiality rules.
Antoinette Lattouf was recruited to host the Mornings show on ABC Radio Sydney for five days - Monday to Friday - in December 2023.
However, the 41-year-old was let go following three days on air after sharing an Instagram post by Human Rights Watch saying Israel used starvation as a "weapon of war" in Gaza.
An unlawful dismissal hearing is on hiatus in the Federal Court after hearing evidence from the freelance journalist and high-profile ABC figures about the 72 hours surrounding her termination.
Ms Buttrose's affidavit released by the court on Thursday confirms she wanted Lattouf out before her controversial post.
On December 18 after Lattouf's first shift on air, Ms Buttrose says she received a "high volume" of complaints appearing to suggest the ABC had hired a pro-Palestinian activist to present the talkback radio show.
By the following day, she had received 23 complaints.
"We have all of these complaints coming in about Antoinette Lattouf. What are we doing about it?" she asked then-managing director David Anderson at a meeting.
Ms Buttrose again pressed Mr Anderson that evening, asking whether the radio host had been replaced.
The managing director wrote back, saying there would be a "managed exit" and that Lattouf would finish on Friday as planned.
In her affidavit, Ms Buttrose wrote that she understood Mr Anderson and other senior managers had decided to keep the freelance presenter on despite the complaints.
"I accepted that Mr Anderson and his staff had the exclusive responsibility for making and implementing this decision," she wrote.
"However, I wanted to challenge that decision."
This challenge was done in an email about 10pm on December 19.
"I have a whole clutch more of complaints. Why can’t she come down with flu? Or COVID. Or a stomach upset?" she wrote.
"We owe her nothing, we are copping criticism because she wasn’t honest when she was appointed."
The following day, Mr Anderson pushed back, noting the consequences of prematurely pulling Lattouf off air.
"If we do remove her, there will be claims of doing so without cause given her position on the Middle East was widely known prior to her engagement, we have caved to pro-Israeli lobbying, and she hasn’t actually breached impartiality this week," he wrote.
Ms Buttrose says she then accepted Mr Anderson's decision to retain Lattouf as final.
"Thanks for the explanation, David – it must be Christmas," she wrote back.
The affidavit also reveals that Ms Buttrose, despite her senior role in the ABC, personally responded to 26 complaints sent about Lattouf, and sent six emails to then-ABC content chief Chris Oliver-Taylor who had been tasked to deal with the issue.
In her testimony, Ms Buttrose denied being antagonistic towards Lattouf or using her position to pressure those below her for the journalist's removal.
She claimed the 41-year-old should never have been employed at the ABC because she was an activist.
Lattouf alleges she was fired because of her political opinion and race after the ABC bowed to pressure from pro-Israeli lobbyists.
She is seeking compensation and penalties from the broadcaster.
The ABC is defending the case, saying she ignored a direction not to post anything on the Israel-Gaza conflict while working on Mornings.
The matter will return to court on February 27 for closing submissions
