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Christian Teaching Assistant Wins Appeal Against Sacking Over Transgender Views

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

LONDON (Worthy News) – A Christian teaching assistant who lost her job in England after publicly opposing transgender books in primary schools has won an appeal in a case seen as crucial for “freedom of belief and freedom of expression,” her advocates told Worthy News.

Kristie Higgs, 46, was dismissed for “gross misconduct” by Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, in 2019. Her dismissal came after she shared posts on the social media platform Facebook criticizing plans to teach LGBT+ relationships in primary schools.

The posts included an article on the rise of transgender ideology in children’s books in American schools and commented: “This is happening in our primary schools now.”

She said she made the comments after discovering that the Church of England school attended by her child planned to introduce books on “confusing and harmful gender identity,” including one titled My Princess Boy.

Her school objected to her statements and initially successfully got her fired.

In its ruling in 2020, the tribunal concluded that her religion was a “protected characteristic” as defined by the Equality Act but that the school lawfully dismissed her.

However, on “Friday, the Employment Appeal Tribunal [in London] ruled in favor of Kristie Higgs,” confirming the Christian Concern and
Christian Legal Centre groups to Worthy News.

OVERTURNING DECISION

“The judgment overturned the decision of the Employment Tribunal for not properly considering Kristie’s rights to freedom of belief and freedom of expression.”

The groups thanked supporters who “stood by Kristie all these years and finally secured this breakthrough.”

It encouraged Higgs, who said she only wanted to prevent the “brainwashing of our children.”

She added: “Children will be taught that all relationships are equally valid and ‘normal’ so that same-sex marriage is exactly the same as traditional marriage. And gender is a matter of choice, not biology, so that it’s up to them what sex they are,” she wrote.

However, “We say again this is a vicious form of totalitarianism aimed at suppressing Christianity and removing it from the public arena.”

A tribunal has now made clear it agrees with her right to free speech and freedom of religion, and her supporters hope it will also impact other cases.

Christian Concern told Worthy News that it remains worried about the Nottinghamshire county council threatening to force a teacher to remortgage her house after she lost a legal dispute over using a pupil’s preferred pronouns.

HIGH FEES

The council has demanded that the teacher pays its 14,000 pounds ($18,000) legal costs after her application for a judicial review was rejected by a High Court.

The teacher began a dispute with the council after the local authority-run school where she worked decided to facilitate the social transition of a girl who wanted to be treated as a boy two years ago.

The school, which the media could not name due to a court order, instructed all staff to always refer to the girl with male pronouns and a male name. School leaders also said she should use the boys’ toilets and dressing rooms.

The teacher, named only as Hannah, reportedly said that she repeatedly raised concerns about the pupil’s welfare and followed the school’s whistleblowing procedure to raise safeguarding concerns.

After bringing a claim for judicial review against the school, the teacher was sacked and now works in a sandwich shop.

“Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre will keep standing with Hannah as she seeks justice on this and her employment case,” the groups told Worthy News.

They said they urged supporters to “Please pray for her and for the child who had been in her class and that school teachers would be free to raise genuine concerns over pupils wanting to embrace trans identities.”