"LGBT is a sin," the teacher said and was fired. The court has now dismissed her Education Ministry lawsuit
Is God anti-LGBT?
Three years ago, Glawdys Leger, a teacher at Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, south-east London, caused quite a controversy for her remarks against the LGBTQ+ community during a religion lesson. During a presentation on human rights and a discussion on different alliances, Leger said that being LGBT+ is a "sin" and that trans people are "just confused". She also emphasized that students should put God before queer ideology.
These words did not sit well with one 11-year-old student, whose mother advised her to always make a note of any "transphobic" comments during class. The mother subsequently lodged a complaint with the school authorities, saying the comments were "very disturbing", especially at a time when "children at this age are exploring who they are".
As a result of this complaint, Leger was soon suspended and then very quickly dismissed. A year later in December, the Professional Conduct Panel (PCP) ruled that her actions constituted gross unprofessional conduct, with the results of the investigation published on the Teaching Regulation Agency's website. Although she was not banned from the teaching profession, Leger decided to challenge the PCP's decision in the High Court, arguing that the panel had failed to put her comments in the correct context and that publishing the results breached her right to privacy.
The current resolution is that Justice Beverly Lang dismissed her claim on the grounds that "the PCP and the Minister of Education made a lawful decision that disclosure of the findings was a justified and proportionate remedy for her unacceptable professional conduct." The judge also said the trial results will be withdrawn from the public database after two years, meaning other potential employers will not have access to them.
This case has once again sparked a difficult debate about the limits of free speech in educational settings and how teachers' personal views should be presented in the classroom. Whether at all. So while some defend the right of teachers to express their religious beliefs, others stress the importance of creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or religious beliefs. In this case, however, we could agree that such ostracization of (not only) students has no place in the public space.
