University student expelled for branding gay people ‘abomination’
A student at a British university has been allegedly expelled after calling gay people an ‘abomination’ on Facebook.
Felix Ngole was told to leave his second year postgraduate course in social work, after the University of Sheffield ruled he had “transgressed boundaries which are not deemed appropriate for someone entering the social work profession.”
The move came after Ngole cited Leviticus online, when supporting anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis.
Davis infamously refused to issue marriage certificates for same-sex couples in Kentucky two months ago, before she was incarcerated for her lack of cooperation.
Ngole defended her stance online, writing: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death.”
Another student saw the quote on Facebook, before they complained to the university.
Ngole has since defended his right to “speak freely” and announced his plans to appeal the decision.
“I wonder whether the university would have taken any action if a Muslim student who believes in Sharia law, with its teaching about women and homosexuality, had made moderate comments on his Facebook page,” he told Christian Radio.
He also claimed that he is being discriminated against for expressing Christian beliefs.
“If [people] are ‘censored’ from even sharing their ideas or beliefs as part of a discussion on Facebook then how can [an exchange of opinion] happen?”
Ngole, who was a refugee who came to England from Cameroon in 2003, said that the university has ruined his future career due to private social media postings – however, the student had his account set to public, meaning a number of people could see the post.
“I have worked with people in same-sex relationships in the past and there has been no issue whatsoever,” he told The Guardian.
The post-grad student is being backed by the Christian Legal Centre – who have previously worked with ‘gay cure’ group Core Issues Trust – who claim the university’s conduct has breached Ngole’s freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield told reporters that Ngole’s that they made the decision based upon the rules regarding professional conduct.
