Ban on homophobic Deptford Green teacher upheld
A Seventh-Day Adventist who refused to apologise for telling a classroom of his students that homosexuality is disgusting has been banned from teaching. What would Jesus do? According to this guy, he'd embark on a sub-Littlejohn rant about political correctness.
The BBC reports:
A classroom ban on a Christian school teacher who condemned the "homosexual lifestyle" in front of pupils has been upheld in the High Court.
A judge rejected an appeal by Deptford Green School science teacher Robert Haye against his indefinite ban.
Mr Haye told a Year 11 class of students aged 15-16 the way homosexual people lived was "disgusting" and a sin, according to the Bible...
Mr Justice King rejected his appeal at London's High Court, saying the ban was justified because Mr Haye had shown lack of insight when he made his "inappropriate" comments and was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct. Mr Haye can apply to return to the classroom after two years.
But he said he thought his teaching career in the UK was over because he was not prepared to give up his religious beliefs - and the right to express them - in order to teach again.
Now unemployed and facing a £4,200 legal costs bill, he said: "I will not recant my beliefs. God comes first.
"Christians are now being persecuted in this country for believing in the Bible. That cannot be. We have a right to believe and express what we believe, but people are now afraid of being punished for not being politically correct."
With thanks to Fintan for the story.