Joshua Sutcliffe

Joshua Sutcliffe, a maths teacher, was disciplined after allegedly ‘misgendering’ a pupil who self-identified as a boy, and for critiquing Islam on his personal YouTube channel.

Joshua Sutcliffe is a maths teacher with an exemplary record, being popular with senior management, parents and pupils alike. But in 2017, Joshua made headlines after being dismissed for allegedly ‘misgendering’ a pupil at his school. His dismissal was believed to be the first time that a teacher had been banned from teaching for refusing to use preferred pronouns.

In 2019, Joshua was forced to resign from another school, over views he posted and talked about on his personal YouTube channel, critiquing Islam.

In May 2023, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) gave Joshua an indefinite ban from the teaching profession, ruling that he was guilty of unprofessional conduct.

In January 2024, it was announced that Joshua’s lawyers had appealed the TRA ruling and were pursuing a Judicial Review of the decision to ban him.

However, on 25 July 2024, a High Court judge ruled that Joshua should continue to be banned from the profession indefinitely. The Christian Legal Centre will continue to support Joshua in his fight for justice.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “We create a turbulent environment in schools when facts are turned on their head against the teacher in a context where children are identifying as the opposite sex. Teachers are treading on egg shells for fear of saying the wrong thing.

“The teaching profession is not a safe place to navigate for Christian teachers. Expressing long held Christian beliefs on marriage and gender can get you suspended, investigated and barred.

“We will continue to support Joshua for as long as it takes to secure justice.”

Key links

• Teacher loses High Court appeal to lift ban from ‘misgendering’
• Read more about Joshua’s appeal of the ban on him from teaching
• Read more about the ban imposed on Joshua
• Read more about the draft guidance for gender questioning children in schools