A well-liked Christian teacher with a 20-year unblemished record, has launched legal proceedings against Preston College after being sacked for ‘Islamophobia’ after expressing concern on Facebook over the Manchester airport attacks and Southport tragedy.
Simon Pearson, 56, is being supported by lawyers at the Christian Legal Centre, and is determined to fight what he describes as a grave injustice.
The case raises critical questions about the balance between workplace conduct, personal beliefs, and the right to speak freely on matters of public concern.
One of the Facebook posts, made privately to Facebook friends, commented on the violent assault of police officers at Manchester Airport in July 2024.
CCTV footage showed two men—Mohammed Fahir Amaaz and his brother—violently attacking officers, including breaking the nose of PC Lydia Ward and elbowing PC Ellie Cook.
This week Amaaz was convicted of multiple assaults, including those against the female officers.
Before the CCTV footage was released, the Muslim community in Rochdale, however, had sought to mislead the public and politicians by framing the incident as one of unprovoked police brutality. Crowds gathered outside of Rochdale police station threatening violence against the police.
A series of high-profile Labour MPs made public comments condemning the police.
Outraged after seeing the full footage and the truth it revealed, on 28 July 2024, the teacher reposted a YouTube video of the Manchester airport incident, and wrote:
“What brave police endured before that was not shown by these two savages and the leftist woke media. If these people have no respect for the police and UK law, they need deporting back to their ancestral home and their property confiscated by the state. They deserved all they got in return and more. The police deserve a medal”.
At a time of heightened tension and widespread concern across the country, on 30 July 2024, the teacher also made the following Facebook post on the Southport killings and broader issues of perceived two-tier policing. He wrote:
“The woman who made that appalling comment about the mosque in Southport is obviously wrong. But where is the jail sentence for the Labour MP calling for people to have their throats slit. Where is the justice meeted it [sic] against those thugs who beat up the police at Manchester airport? She should not have been jailed for that. People presumed the worst and were outraged by the killing of three little girls. It was wrong but how many Islamists plots and crimes have been experienced in our country. The Manchester Arena bombing, Lee Rigby, etc… Certain sections of society calling for the genocide of Jews from the river to the sea are so also free to express their opinions and make Jewish people afraid to walk the streets. There is a two-tier policy from the top down. Has our country’s woke leadership lost its mind? Should we be seeking asylum in America?”
On 15 August 2024, an Islamic representative of the National Education Union at Preston College (NEU) submitted a formal complaint to Preston College, alleging that the Facebook posts were ‘Islamophobic’ and ‘racially discriminatory’.
The representative threatened to go to the police and the media if the teacher was not sacked.
Despite nearly 20 years of exemplary service the teacher was suspended, investigated, and dismissed for gross misconduct.
During proceedings, the teacher provided extensive evidence of his support for Muslim students, asylum seekers, and international communities, including letters to the Home Office and personal acts of charity.
He also apologised if he had offended anyone, which he said was not his intention.
Despite this, the investigation, which was carried out by the Principal of the College and HR, concluded that the posts violated College policies, damaged professional relationships, and had the potential to bring the College into disrepute.
With his career in tatters, the teacher has faced no alternative but to take a job that does not reflect his qualification and skills.
The teacher has now launched legal action which has been filed in the Employment Tribunal, with claims of wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment, and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
The claim argues that the teacher’s posts were expressions of protected philosophical and Christian beliefs, including support for the rule of law, freedom of expression, and equal justice.
Lawyers will cite the legal precedent of Christian school administrator, Kristie Higgs, who was sacked in 2018 and compared to a neo-Nazi, for raising parental concern about extreme transgender ideology and sex education being taught in her son’s Church of England primary school.
In February 2025 she won her landmark case at the Court of Appeal.
“I am appalled by the way I’ve been treated,” said Mr Pearson. “I’ve dedicated my life to education and to supporting students from all walks of life. I was upset by the CCTV footage, especially the attacks on the female officers. Yet as soon as I was branded ‘Islamophobic’ for expressing concern about violent crime, I became a marked man. It was clear that I had to be found guilty by the College, it became a witch hunt, and I had to be eliminated no matter what.
“The CCTV footage and the convictions this week vindicate my position.
“I cannot allow what has happened to me to go unchallenged. It is a grave injustice that should concern everybody who cares about freedom. I am determined to fight for justice and for the freedom to raise legitimate concerns in public and private as part of national debates on extremely serious issues that impact us all.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, commented:
“This case highlights the dangerous consequences of the vague and weaponised use of the term ‘Islamophobia’. In a free and democratic society, we must be able to discuss public events and express concern about violence and injustice without fear of losing our livelihoods. The definition of Islamophobia is being used to silence legitimate speech and punish those who dare to speak out. We stand firmly behind this teacher and his right to freedom of expression.”
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