A Catholic teacher could be barred from her profession for refusing to teach extreme gender ideology to pupils.
Glawdys Leger, 43, was dismissed from Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, Kent, after she refused to teach “extreme and politically partisan LGBTQI lessons” to Year 7 and 8 pupils.
She was sacked for gross misconduct in May 2022 by the Aquinas Church of England Education Trust which also claimed she was a safeguarding risk to the “emotional well-being of children”.
The trust then referred her to the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA), which this week will hold a fitness to practice hearing to consider whether she should banned from the profession for life after 12 years working as a specialist Modern Foreign Languages teacher.
It is believed to be the first time that such a complaint from an Anglican school has been referred to a full TRA hearing.
The trust complained that Ms Leger “upset one pupil by sharing her views on LBGTQ+ and she went on to share many more in our investigation and subsequent hearings, such that we were not certain whether she would continue to share those views with young people”.
Ms Leger said she was “treated like a criminal” for saying in Religious Education (RE) lessons that Christians believed people are born male and female and that LGBTQI sexual practices are sinful.
She also declined to impart hard-core gender ideology propaganda to her pupils.
In February 2022, the Head of RE sat in on one of Ms Leger’s lessons and gave very positive feedback, but asked “where is the LGBT lesson?”
A pupil later claimed that Ms Leger said “God will love you if you are not LGBTQ+”, an accusation that she vehemently denies.
Ms Leger had been instructed to use materials for RE entitled Who Am I? which included introducing 11 and 12-year-old children to gender identities such as pansexual, asexual, intersex and transgender.
The lessons were also designed to encourage “allyship”, in which “typically a non-queer person … supports and advocates for the queer community”.
Allyship would involve defending and promoting any “protected characteristics”, including any gender identities, even though gender identity is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
Ms Leger says she was also compelled to show pupils a film commissioned by Stonewall, called Fit, about millennials who are “not what they seem at first glance, with gay hearts lurking behind tough exteriors and straight kids expressing themselves in very queer ways”.
During lesson discussions on LGBTQI issues at a staff training day, she said she did not believe in transgender ideology and said Christians believed sex outside of marriage is sinful.
When she was fired, she was told in a letter her alleged conduct “was contrary to fundamental British values in that it lacked tolerance to those with different beliefs”.
She Ms Leger claim at the TRA hearing that she was intimidated and bullied about her Christian beliefs and how she expressed them, according to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is representing her.
Ahead of the hearing, she said: “The impact of what has happened to me has taken a great toll on me. The thought of me losing my career for expressing my Christian beliefs in response to questions from students is heart-breaking.
“I was treated like a criminal and as though I was a danger for expressing my Christian beliefs.
“I have great compassion for LGBT people, especially for those suffering from gender confusion.
“I cannot, however, in good conscience teach or say things I believe are contrary to my faith, for example saying that same-sex sexual relationships are good and/or affirming people in their gender confusion.
“I am certain that I have not shown, and never would show, any hatred or lack of love towards LGBT people.
“True compassion and love is to be able to speak the truth to people irrespective of their sexuality. I would never discriminate against anyone, but what the school was compelling teachers to promote, teach and celebrate these issues, which I could not do.
“For Christians it is important to remain an ally of God rather than being an ally of things that are against God’s Laws and Commandments.
“It is not ‘inclusive’ if pupils at a Christian school are barred from understanding what Christian belief is and means on these very serious issues.
“With Bishop Justus being a Christian school, I really believed that Christian pupils, their parents and any Christian member of staff, were being deceived.
“Anyone who dared to suggest that religion is a reason to not agree with that ideology was silenced, and in my case, sacked. We were not even asked how we felt about it, and when I raised concern, I was given no support.”
She continued: “Increasingly, it became obvious that all the Christian aspects of the school were just for show.
“Beneath the mask, being promoted in assemblies and in the classroom without parents’ knowledge, were political and ethical beliefs completely contrary to Christian beliefs on these issues.
“What has happened to me is desperately concerning to any Christian teacher and any parent with a child at a Church of England school.
“The message from the Bishop Justus and the TRA by bringing this case is that Christian teachers must not only be silent about their beliefs, but they must actively promote LGBT ideology or risk losing their career.
“This is unacceptable in a truly democratic and ‘tolerant’ society, and I am determined to defend myself and fight for justice.”
Andrea Williams, CLC chief executive, said Ms Leger “was hounded out of the job she loved because she wanted children to understand in an RE lesson in a Christian school that Christian teaching does not align with LGBTQI ideology”.
A spokesman for the Aquinas Church of England Education Trust said: “Delivering a high-quality education and supporting the wellbeing of students is our top priority.
“To ensure this is achieved, we promote fundamental British values including mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The school teaches in line with statutory requirements to promote British values and follows relevant guidance outlined by the Department for Education.
“Given the ongoing investigation, and sensitivities involved, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.”
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