A school employee appeals against his dismissal, citing links to Christian beliefs

Senior judges are to hear a school employee’s appeal against her dismissal after she claimed she was fired because of her Christian beliefs.

Kristie Higgs, 47, was dismissed from Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, in 2019 for gross misconduct after sharing posts on Facebook criticizing plans to teach LGBT+ relationships in primary schools.

Mrs Higgs, from Fairford, shared and commented on posts that raised concerns about relationships education at her son’s Church of England primary school.

Ms Higgs, who posted on Facebook under her maiden name, shared two posts with around 100 friends in October 2018.

One post referred to “brainwashing our children.”

An anonymous complaint was made to the school and Ms Higgs was suspended and, following a disciplinary hearing, dismissed for gross misconduct.

Ms Higgs, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, took the school to an employment tribunal, claiming she had suffered unlawful discrimination because of her Christian beliefs.

The school denied firing the mother of two because of her religious beliefs and said she was fired because of the language used in the posts.

In its 2020 ruling, the tribunal found that her religion was a “protected characteristic” under the Equality Act, but the school legally dismissed her.

Ms Higgs appealed against this judgment to the London Employment Appeal Tribunal, which ruled in her favor and referred the case back to the employment tribunal.

The hearing is scheduled to start on Wednesday at the Royal Court of Justice.

The court allowed the Association of Christian Teachers, the Free Speech Union, Sex Matters, the Council of Archbishops of the Church of England and the Equality and Human Rights Commission to intervene.

Ahead of the hearing, Ms Higgs said: “I wouldn’t want any parent to go through what I’ve been through over the last five years. No one should be fired for expressing my concerns the way I did.

“My posts were a warning, and much of what has happened in the debate over the last five years has vindicated my point.

“I now pray that the Court of Appeal will do the right thing and issue a ruling that will protect the freedom of Christian workers and parents to express their beliefs without fear of being silenced.”

“This case has exposed, at every stage, systemic prejudice against the Christian faith and its teachings. First at school, then in court. It’s time to put things right.

“The outcome of this case will be huge and it has been a long five-year journey.

“We now pray for justice for Kristie and for a ruling that not only protects the freedoms of Christians, but also protects the freedom of everyone in the UK.”