School worker sacked after claiming LGBT+ ‘indoctrination’ is ‘brainwashing our children’. Now, she’s suing for discrimination
Former pastoral assistant Kristie Higgs has won her appeal against the employment tribunal ruling on her dismissal. (Christian Legal Centre/PA)
A school worker is claiming that she was discriminated against for being a Christian after losing her job after attacking LGBT+ “brainwashing” on Facebook.
Kristie Higgs, 44, had been employed at Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire for seven years, but was sacked for gross misconduct in 2018 after complaints about her Facebook posts ranting about LGBT+ inclusive education.
In one post, Higgs shared a petition from anti-LGBT+ lobbying group CitizenGo attacking “LGBT indoctrination” in schools.
She accused schools of “BRAINWASHING OUR CHILDREN” [sic] through inclusive relationships education, claiming: “[This] means, for example, that 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 that gender is a matter of choice, not biology, so that it’s up to them what sex they are.”
Higgs described inclusive education as a “vicious form of totalitarianism,” adding: “Please sign this petition, they have already started to brainwash our innocent wonderfully created children and it’s happening in our local primary school now.”
Kristie Higgs claims she was discriminated against for being a Christian (Photo: Christian Concern)
In another post, Higgs promoted a blog from a US evangelical campaigner that claims “liberal school systems are busy indoctrinating their children”.
The blog claims: “They are stealing the innocence of our children with a devious scheme to supplant traditional gender roles by differentiating a child’s gender assignment at birth with his perceived gender.
“The LBGT crowd with the assistance of the progressive school systems are destroying the minds of normal children by promoting mental illness. Delusional thinking is a form of psychotic thinking, and we have professionals promoting it to our young kids.”
Christian Legal Centre is helping employee challenge supposed ‘anti-Christian discrimination’.
Higgs was suspended, subjected to a disciplinary proceeding and eventually sacked for gross misconduct for failing to adhere to the “school’s requirement to respect and tolerate the views of others and to role model such behaviour”.
However, she is now taking legal action against the school with help from the Christian Legal Centre, an offshoot of the anti-LGBT lobbying group Christian Concern that often provides pro bono legal representation to people who have made extreme homophobic comments.
Higgs, who claims she was subjected to discrimination and harassment on the grounds of her religious beliefs, will have her case heard at Bristol Employment Tribunal from September 21 to 25.
In a release via Christian Concern, Higgs claimed: “I hold these views because of my Christian beliefs, beliefs and views which are shared by hundreds of thousands of parents across the UK. My number one concern has always been the effect that learning about sex and gender in school will have on children at such a young age. I have not discriminated against anyone.
Christian Legal Centre head and conversion therapy advocate Andrea Williams, said: “This case is about the freedom to hold Christian views about what it means to be human. Many Christians have faced pressure for expressing these views in the workplace before, but in this case, Kristie has been dismissed for sharing her views among friends on Facebook.
“What Kristie shared on Facebook simply reflects the genuine and justified concerns of a parent about the sexual ideology currently being imposed on her own children and thousands of children across the UK.
“Through my case I want there to be renewed freedom for others, especially Christians, to express their beliefs and opinions without fear of losing their jobs.”
However, the school has maintained that the action was not taken against Higgs for her religion.
