In response to the George Floyd protests, Summer Heights High was one of several of Lilley's series that Netflix removed from its streaming service due to the use of blackface and brownface in the portrayal of characters. Writing for The Guardian, Seini F. Taumoepeau called Lilley's Jonah character a "racist construct" who did not accurately represent Tongans.
In response to the George Floyd protests, Summer Heights High was among several of Lilley's series that Netflix removed from its streaming service due to problematic racial portrayals. Seini F. Taumoepeau in The Guardian described Lilley's Jonah character as a "racist construct" who did not accurately represent Tongans.