A Christian faculty trainer who was fired after she shared her considerations about intercourse training classes and transgenderism in faculties can be heard on the Court docket of Enchantment as we speak.
Kristie Higgs is supported by the Christian Authorized Centre, which stated her case “has important implications for Christian freedom within the office and the liberty of any worker to precise biblical ideas about marriage and the household, a few of which can specific opposition to LGBTQI+ ideology.” , in public or in personal, with out worry of lack of livelihood”.
Higgs misplaced her job at Farm Excessive College in 2019 over two posts she made on her private Fb account beneath her maiden identify the yr earlier than.
The posts questioned the introduction of obligatory relationship and intercourse training classes at her son's main faculty and the promotion of transgenderism at school library books. Though the posts didn’t point out her employer, the college acquired an nameless grievance that led to her dismissal for gross misconduct.
In 2020, she challenged her dismissal at an employment tribunal, however the judgment upheld the college's resolution, concluding that it was justified in sacking her as a result of her posts might be perceived as “transphobic” and “homophobic”.
The Employment Enchantment Tribunal (EAT) dominated that the case ought to be despatched again to the Employment Tribunal to be heard once more, however this verdict was efficiently appealed by Higgs' attorneys, who argued that the judgment and steerage from the EAT diminished freedom of expression protections.
Girl Justice Elisabeth Laing, who granted permission for her case to be heard by the Court docket of Enchantment, stated earlier this yr that the case “raises at the very least three essential questions in regards to the dismissal of an worker for expressing her beliefs”.
These embody the “false impression that [Mrs Higgs’] opinions constituted illegal discrimination” and “to what extent an employer could lawfully fireplace an worker for expressing opinions which are primarily based on her non secular beliefs in a non-workplace, non-employer-controlled, membership-limited discussion board.”
Forward of Wednesday's listening to, Ms Higgs stated she was praying for a choice “that protects Christian employees and the liberty of oldsters to precise their beliefs with out worry or silencing”.
“I wouldn't need any father or mother to undergo what I've gone by means of during the last 5 years. Nobody ought to be fired for elevating the considerations that I did,” she stated.
“One of many largest issues for me was that this harmful and anti-Christian ideology was being launched right into a Church of England faculty. I might see that what was taking place was dangerous and no dad and mom appeared to find out about it.”
“My posts have been a warning and a lot of what has occurred within the debate during the last 5 years has confirmed me proper. Transgender ideology and excessive intercourse training are dangerous to kids and shouldn’t have any place in faculties, particularly not in Christian main faculties. “
Andrea Williams, chief government of the Christian Authorized Centre, stated the case was “deeply essential totally free speech and Christian freedom” and “units an essential authorized precedent for a few years to come back”.
“This case has uncovered systemic prejudice towards the Christian religion and its teachings at each stage. First at her faculty after which within the courts. Now’s the time to place issues proper,” she stated.
“The end result of this case goes to be enormous and it's been an extended five-year journey.”
She added: “We now pray for justice for Kristie and for a choice to be made that not solely protects Christian freedoms but in addition protects freedom for everybody within the UK.”
Intercourse Issues, the Equality and Human Rights Fee, the Church of England Council of Archbishops, the Free Speech Union and the Affiliation of Christian Lecturers are intervening within the case.
Intercourse Issues acknowledged that “nearly all of perception discrimination instances at present earlier than the courts and tribunals are direct discrimination – the actual objection is to the assumption, to not the actual method (or time or place) wherein the individual expressed it” .
It reads: “Kristie Higgs's considerations about gender affirmation in faculties, expressed in 'Florida' language in a 2018 Fb publish, weren’t simply an expression of her non secular beliefs, however have been additionally mirrored within the extra fastidiously written Cass Overview in 2024.
“The query of what makes the expression of a selected perception legally 'objectionable' is context-specific—the objectives of the group and the individual's work. These aren’t broad and obscure ethical judgments to be made by employment tribunals, archbishops or Stonewall. .”
