School worker appeals against dismissal amid claim of links to Christian beliefs

Senior judges are to perceive a schoolhouse worker’s entreaty against her dismissal aft she claimed she was sacked due to the fact that of her Christian beliefs.

Kristie Higgs, 47, was dismissed for gross misconduct by Farmor’s School successful Fairford, Gloucestershire, successful 2019 aft sharing Facebook posts criticising plans to thatch LGBT+ relationships successful superior schools.

Mrs Higgs, from Fairford, shared and commented connected posts which raised concerns astir narration acquisition astatine her son’s Church of England superior school.

Pupils were to larn astir the No Outsiders In Our School programme, which is simply a bid of books teaching the Equality Act successful superior schools.

Mrs Higgs, who was posting connected Facebook nether her maiden name, shared 2 posts successful October 2018 to astir 100 friends.

One of the posts referred to “brainwashing our children”.

An anonymous ailment was made to the schoolhouse and Mrs Higgs was suspended and, aft a disciplinary hearing, dismissed for gross misconduct.

Mrs Higgs, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, took the schoolhouse to an employment tribunal, arguing she had been unlawfully discriminated against due to the fact that of her Christian beliefs.

The schoolhouse had denied dismissing the mother-of-two due to the fact that of her spiritual beliefs and said she was sacked due to the fact that of the connection utilized successful the posts.

In its ruling successful 2020, the tribunal concluded her religion is simply a “protected characteristic” arsenic defined by the Equality Act, but the schoolhouse lawfully dismissed her.

Mrs Higgs appealed against that judgement to the Employment Appeal Tribunal successful London, which ruled successful her favour and remitted the lawsuit backmost to an employment tribunal for a caller determination.

Mrs Higgs’s lawyers appealed against the determination to bid a caller employment tribunal proceeding and person present won the close to person her lawsuit heard by Court of Appeal judges.

The proceeding is owed to statesman astatine the Royal Courts of Justice connected Wednesday.

The tribunal has fixed support for the Association of Christian Teachers, Free Speech Union, Sex Matters, the Church of England Archbishops’ Council and Commission for Equality and Human Rights to intervene.

Ahead of the hearing, Mrs Higgs said: “I wouldn’t privation immoderate genitor to spell done what I person implicit the past 5 years. Nobody should beryllium sacked for raising the concerns that I did successful the mode that I did.

“My posts were a informing and truthful overmuch of what has happened successful the statement implicit the past 5 years has vindicated me.

“I commune present that the Court of Appeal volition marque the close judgement and volition marque a ruling that protects Christian employees and parents’ state to explicit their beliefs without fearfulness of being silenced.”

Andrea Williams, main enforcement of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “This lawsuit is profoundly important for escaped code and Christian freedom. Its result volition acceptable an important ineligible precedent for galore years to come.

“This lawsuit has exposed astatine each signifier systemic prejudice against the Christian religion and its teachings. First astatine her schoolhouse and past successful the courts. Now is the clip to enactment things right.

“The result of this lawsuit volition beryllium immense and has been a agelong five-year journey.

“We commune present for justness for Kristie and that determination volition beryllium a ruling that not lone protects Christian freedoms, but besides protects state for everyone successful the UK.”