Teacher found guilty of ‘unacceptable professional conduct’ for sharing Christian beliefs in Church of England school
21 December 2023 Issued by: Christian ConcernThe Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) has ruled that a teacher was guilty of ‘unacceptable professional conduct’ for expressing and debating the Church of England’s (CofE) own teaching and Biblical position on human sexuality in a CofE school.
The publication of the ruling follows the government this week announcing its trans guidance for schools which says there should be a ‘presumption’ against children being able to change gender.
Glawdys Leger, 43, had been a specialist Modern Foreign Languages teacher for 12 years before she was sacked by Bishop Justus CofE School in Bromley, Kent in May 2022 for refusing to promote extreme LGBTQI+ ideology.
Ms Leger, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, said she was “treated like a criminal” for refusing to teach the lessons, which had been incorporated into Religious Education (RE) teaching to year 7 pupils at the school.
Teaching materials included introducing children to gender identities such as pansexual, asexual, intersex and transgender, plus Stonewall inspired films and Animal Farm-esque slogans: “Equality is a strength, Diversity is our power, Inclusion is a necessity.”
Concerned that pupils were being taught only one narrative and that parents were being kept in the dark, Ms Leger expressed to students during a discussion on LGBTQI issues in February 2022 that she did not believe in transgender ideology, that Christians believe sex outside of marriage is sin and that as a Christian you need to ‘live your life for God.’
Despite her exemplary 5 years of employment at the school, just a single complaint from an 11-year old pupil via her mother was enough to lead to Ms Leger’s sacking for gross misconduct.
Not satisfied with just the sacking , the Aquinas Church of England Education Trust then proceeded to report Ms Leger to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) because “she upset one pupil by sharing her views on LBGTQ+ and she went on to share many more in our investigation and subsequent hearings, such that we were not certain whether she would continue to share those views with young people.”
On the basis of upset, not harm, to one child, the TRA decided to take forward a case against her that could have seen Ms Leger lose her practising certificate and her ability to teach in the UK.
The case was thought to be the first time that the TRA had taken a case to a full hearing on these issues against a teacher at a CofE school.
Cross-examination
At a fitness to practise hearing beginning on 9 October at the TRA’s headquarters in Coventry, a disciplinary panel heard evidence from Ms Leger and the mother and child at the school who made the complaint.
The panel included Canon Maurice Smith, the former Diocesan Director for Education in the Diocese of Manchester. Mr Smith answered to the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, who is one of the most pro-LGBT voices within the senior ranks of the CofE.
Giving evidence, the mother said that Ms Leger’s comments had made Pupil A feel ‘between uncomfortable and traumatised’ and repeatedly provided inconsistent evidence.
During cross-examination, Ms Leger’s lawyer, Michael Phillips, asked the mother: ‘If the school taught that gay relationships are a good thing, would you be comfortable with that?’ However, the TRA panel intervened and refused to allow an answer.
Mr Phillips also asked Pupil A and her mother whether they recalled, or were even aware, that as well as the allegations brought against her, Ms Leger had also said in the class how:
- ‘There is no place to hurt or exclude anyone because they are LGBT.’
- ‘Christians should pray for people who are LGBT.’
- And that she ‘spoke about God’s love and how we are all loved and precious.’
They said they did not recall.
Giving evidence, Ms Leger said:
“I am certain that I have not shown, and never would show, any hatred or lack of love towards LGBT people.
“True compassion and love is to be able to speak the truth to people irrespective of their sexuality. I would never discriminate against anyone, but the school was compelling teachers to promote, teach and celebrate these issues, which I could not do.
“For Christians it is important to remain an ally of God rather than being an ally of things that are against God’s Laws and Commandments. It is not ‘inclusive’ if pupils at a Christian school are barred from understanding what Christian belief is and means on these very serious issues.”
The panel also heard character witness evidence in support of Ms Leger which included comments that she is “a kind, genteel and decent individual who would never deliberately cause harm or insult to another human being and most definitely not a young person”.
Another friend of Ms Leger stated that Ms Leger is “trustworthy, professional and approachable”.
Despite the mother of Pupil A saying that she had never intended for the complaint to ‘get this far’, and that all she had wanted was for Ms Leger to have ‘training’, the panel concluded that Ms Leger was guilty of ‘unacceptable professional conduct’ and labelled the expression of her beliefs as ‘inappropriate’.
Panel judgment
Following the hearing, the TRA deliberated on whether to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for her to be banned from the teaching profession.
In a decision and letter sent to Ms Leger and her lawyers this week, the TRA ruled that it could ‘not be proved’ that Ms Leger had brought the profession into disrepute or that her conduct was ‘contrary to Fundamental British values in that it lacked tolerance to those with different beliefs.’
The panel also found no evidence that Ms Leger had said during a lesson that ‘God will love you more if you are not LGBTQ+’, which she had consistently and vehemently denied saying.
The Panel said Ms Leger: ‘presented as genuine and sincere in her personally held views’, was ‘tolerant of people from all backgrounds’, and ‘found Ms Leger had no intention of causing distress or harm to pupils.’
However, in its decision the panel said it: ‘Considered that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Ms Leger were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession.’
They found that Ms Leger’s beliefs, and the expression of them in a Church of England school, were not aligned with ‘school policy’.
Despite Ms Leger expressing her beliefs to pupils because they were only being taught the LGBTQI+ narrative at the school, the TRA said that her ‘choice not to present a balanced view undermined the School community’s aspiration to provide a supportive environment for children who may be exploring sexual identity.’
The panel therefore ruled that it was: ‘Satisfied that you are guilty of unacceptable professional conduct’, but stopped short of banning her from teaching indefinitely by saying: ‘The Secretary of State for Education has considered the panel’s recommendation and has decided that it is not appropriate to impose a prohibition order.’
They said that: ‘The details of this decision will be added to your teacher record, which employers can use to check information.’
‘Alarming’
Responding to the ruling, Ms Leger said: “I am relieved to not be banned from teaching in the UK. However, I find it extremely alarming that I have been found guilty of discussing and debating Christian teaching in a Christian school in an RE lesson.
“I raised what I did because children were being taught one extreme LGBTQI+ narrative at the school with no debate. Yet for raising, expressing and teaching Christian beliefs on these issues, I have been accused of not presenting a balanced view.
“Any Christian or religious school must be upfront and honest with parents who believe they are sending their children to a Christian school, if it no longer adheres to Christian teaching or beliefs, or even its own teaching on human sexuality. They must be transparent with parents that, in many cases, some Christian schools are instead pushing deeply contested and harmful ideologies on children without their parents’ permission or knowledge.
“Christian beliefs and any other religious beliefs must be respected in all schools. Children should not be misled.
“As soon as I provided pupils with the Christian teaching on these issues and encouraged debate and discussion, I was sacked and brought before a fitness to practise panel with my career on the line.
“The impact of what has happened has taken a great toll on me. The thought of me losing my career for expressing my Christian beliefs in response to questions from students has been heart-breaking.
“While they have not banned me, they have placed a significant mark against my name which future prospective employers will see. It is like I have had a ‘hate crime’ recorded against my name which will be kept on the system to highlight that I have Christian beliefs on these issues.
“The message from the TRA is that Christian teachers must not only be silent about their beliefs, but they must actively promote LGBT ideology or risk being severely punished and even losing their careers.”
‘Classroom no longer safe for Christians’
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “Regulatory bodies are creating an oppressive environment for teachers which chills the atmosphere and prevents the expression of Christian faith in schools and any alternative or balancing viewpoint to LGBTQI+ ideology.
“Glawdys is a Christian teacher who was teaching Christian ethics in an RE lesson in a Christian school. For her to be punished for doing her job well creates censorship in the classroom. “Ms Leger cared deeply about the children in her care and wanted to teach them about the tolerance and hope that is found in the Christian faith. For that she has been punished and even risked loss of her license to teach.
“We are ready to continue to support Glawdys and to appeal any of the findings made against her by the TRA.”
Further background
After starting work at Bishop Justus CofE school in 2017, Ms Leger had seen a continuous increase in the promotion of LGBTQI identities and other contentious ethical and political issues within the so-called Christian school.
As well as languages lessons, Ms Leger also had to teach RE, but discovered that teaching material included extreme content on gender identity with themes that begin to suggest to children that humans can be born in the wrong body.
Materials for RE entitled ‘Who Am I’ included introducing children in Year 7 to gender identities such as pansexual, asexual, intersex and transgender.
The lessons were also designed to encourage ‘allyship’, which the materials described as: “Typically a non-queer person who supports and advocates for the queer community.”
Presentation slides integrated the idea that a condition of friendship and ‘allyship’ at the school would involve defending and promoting any ‘protected characteristics’, including any gender identities.
‘Gender Identity’ is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, which makes such teaching misleading and partisan.
The same presentation slide also included an Animal Farm-esque slogan: “Equality is a strength, Diversity is our power, Inclusion is a necessity.”
Furthermore, teachers, including Ms Leger, were compelled to show pupils a film commissioned by Stonewall, called ‘Fit’, which is about millennials who are ‘not what they seem at first glance, with gay hearts lurking behind tough exteriors and straight kids expressing themselves in very queer ways.’
Ms Leger had also grown increasingly alarmed by the promotion and acceptance of abortion and Critical Race Theory within the school.
Raising her conscientious objection to her superiors, her concerns were brushed aside and ignored. She also discovered that the school chaplain was unaware that such lessons were being taught.
During a staff training session about the impact teachers have on the life of young people, staff, including Ms Leger, were told that teachers are often the only role models some pupils may ever encounter.
Believing parents who thought they were sending their children to a Christian school were being deceived, Ms Leger decided that she would teach the Christian view on sexuality as students were getting only a one-sided narrative.
During the lesson there were discussions on LGBTQI issues including a number of searching questions from the Christian students, she expressed that she did not believe in transgender ideology, that Christians believe sex outside of marriage is sin and that as a Christian you need to ‘live your life for God.’
In February 2022, the Head of RE sat in on one of Ms Leger’s lessons and gave very positive feedback, but asked ‘where is the LGBT lesson?’
The complaint that would lead to her sacking and potentially losing her career followed.
One complaint from a parent via their child alleged Ms Leger had said in RE lessons:
- all LGBTQ+ are ‘not fine’;
- LGBTQ+ is a sin;
- that God should be before LGBTQ+;
- God will love you if you are not LGBTQ+;
- people will always be seen by God as having their birth gender;
- that transgender people are ‘just confused.’
Ms Leger has always vehemently denied that she had ever said anything similar to: ‘God will love you if you are not LGBTQ+’ and this has now been found to be ‘unproven’ by the TRA.
An investigation and disciplinary hearing followed, which included Ms Leger facing a panel of seven against one.
She will say that she was intimidated and bullied about her Christian beliefs and how she expressed them and then sacked for gross misconduct, being deemed a safeguarding risk to the ‘emotional well-being of children.’
Following her sacking, Ms Leger received a letter from the TRA confirming the launch of a case against her stating that ‘in accordance with the Education Act 2011 the Secretary of State is able to prohibit teachers from the profession for reasons of unacceptable professional conduct’.
