Education Team Administrator Emily Bourne looks back at victorious education cases won through the Christian Legal Centre, considering how this should impact our thinking about current cases.
We are seeing an increasing number of people contacting us with education related inquiries at Christian Concern.
This includes parents wanting advice about how to challenge inappropriate Relationships and Sex Education resources being used in their child’s school, reports of pupils feeling scared to express their Christian faith and school staff being disciplined for raising concerns about the promotion of LGBT ideology in schools.
We have a number of ongoing cases supporting Christian school employees as we continue to seek justice for Bernard Randall, Kristie Higgs, Joshua Sutcliffe, and ‘Hannah’. There are many others we are unable to report.
It can feel overwhelming at times for those involved and winning can appear to be too difficult or even impossible.
But when we look back at some previous cases, we can see that God is faithful. We should thank him for the incredible victories he has provided in recent years and entrust our ongoing work to him, in accordance with his will.
Vicky Allen (2016)
Vicky Allen, a teaching assistant, was unfairly disciplined for answering a student’s question on same-sex relationships. She had told a pupil that she did not agree with same-sex relationships and that she was unhappy about the rainbow emblem being used to represent gay pride.
With help from the Christian Legal Centre, a settlement was reached shortly before her Employment Tribunal hearing began. The school’s head teacher apologised to Vicky for the upset caused by the disciplinary process.
The school recognised Vicky’s right to share her Christian beliefs, and respected her view that marriage should be between a man and a woman was sincerely held and shared by many others.
Nigel and Sally Rowe (2016 – 2022)
Nigel and Sally Rowe were some of the first people to raise concerns about the implications of social transitioning and transgender ideology in schools. This was after their six-year-old son came home from school upset and confused following a decision by the school to allow one of his male classmates to come to school dressed as a girl.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, the Rowes took legal action against the Department for Education (DfE) after they were labelled ‘transphobic’ by the Church of England primary school for refusing to ‘believe’ in the transgender affirming policies which the school was implementing.
Years of courage and perseverance were to follow. Finally, having pursued a judicial review of these decisions, in February 2022 the Rowes were granted permission by Lord Justice Lane to bring a case to be heard in full at the High Court.
Justice Lane ruled that the DfE’s decisions were judicially reviewable on the grounds that transgender issues in schools are a matter of education and therefore the responsibility of the state.
Rather than facing a full judicial review hearing, the DfE chose to settle the case, paying the Rowes £22,000 in costs.
The government also committed to reform guidance for schools on transgender issues, finally publishing its much-improved draft guidance in December 2023. This guidance substantially challenges the tide of transgender ideology in schools.
Felix Ngole (2016 – 2019)
In 2016, Felix was expelled from his university social work course after he made comments on his personal Facebook page in support of Biblical teaching on marriage and sexual ethics.
In a landmark judgment in 2019, the Court of Appeal overturned a previous High Court ruling, making it clear that Christians do have the legal right to express Biblical views on social media and elsewhere in public without fear for their professional careers.
Felix is currently pursuing justice through an Employment Tribunal after having a job offer withdrawn because his would-be employer discovered his beliefs. Nevertheless, his Court of Appeal victory is a powerful precedent in protecting the freedom of Christians to pursue professional careers through education.
Keith Waters (2019 – 2022)
In another case involving social media, after tweeting a warning to fellow Christians that Pride events are harmful to children, Keith and his family faced repeated harassment – even a death threat – and the school where he worked as a caretaker eventually forced him out of his job.
Keith had taken a 60% pay cut from his role as an Estates Manager at one of Cambridge University’s largest colleges to serve his local community and serve as a caretaker at the local primary school. He took the job with the agreement that he would combine the role with his duties as Pastor of Ely’s New Connexions Church.
Finally, after three years, the Employment Tribunal ruled that the school had discriminated against Keith. The tribunal found in favour of Pastor Waters’ freedom to express his Biblical beliefs on human identity and sexual morality on social media, adding to the case law protecting Christians from harassment.
Andy Nix (2021 – 2024)
Andy Nix qualified as a teacher in 2006 and had been working as a teaching assistant at a school in Leeds. In July 2021, Andy was arrested for street preaching alongside another evangelist, Dave McConnell.
After charges were subsequently dropped, the news appeared in local Leeds media that Mr Nix intended to take legal action against the police for wrongful arrest. Mr Nix was then interrogated by the school where he worked, and he felt he was being pressurised to renounce his Christian beliefs or face losing his job.
The school said that Mr Nix’s Christian beliefs did not ‘align’ with the school ethos and values, particularly around inclusivity, and there were students in the school who would be offended if they became aware of his Christian beliefs.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Andy Nix took legal action against the school after he was then sacked without notice. He lodged a claim against the school in an Employment Tribunal.
Instead of facing trial, the school decided to settle the case and pay Mr Nix £7,000 in compensation.
Keep shining Christ’s light
Following victory in his particular case, Keith Waters shared what summarises our goal for all our cases: “This is an important win for our freedom to speak the truth of the gospel without fear of losing our jobs.”
This is why Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre exists and why we continue to fight these important cases.
Our schools – and society at large – need Christians who behave like Christians outside and inside the workplace.
Christians are not to hide their light under a bushel. We are not to hide our Christian convictions the moment we walk through a school’s doors. The gospel applies to all of life, not just what we do at home and at church.
We trust that in our ongoing cases God will continue to provide victories as he has done in the past and that he would be glorified through it all.
If you would consider helping people like Bernard Randall, Kristie Higgs, Joshua Sutcliffe or ‘Hannah’ today either financially or in prayer, you will be part of ensuring that Christian freedoms are upheld both now and in the future.
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