A Christian school worker who was allegedly fired because of her Christian beliefs has won the right to appeal her case.
Early in 2020, Kristie Higgs was made redundant from the Church of England Farmor's School in Fairford, Gloucestershire after sharing on her private Facebook profile a petition against plans to teach about LGBT+ relationships in sex education.
Someone then submitted an anonymous complaint saying that Higgs' views were "homophobic and prejudiced". Higgs was later suspended and dismissed for gross misconduct following a disciplinary hearing.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Higgs took the school to an employment tribunal arguing she had been unlawfully discriminated against because of her Christian beliefs.
But the employment tribunal concluded in its ruling that her religion was a "protected characteristic" and she had not been fired for religious discrimination but all proceedings against her had been because of the language she had used in her post.
The Employment Appeal Tribunal in London this week has called that decision into question and has granted Higgs permission to appeal.
Responding to the ruling, Higgs said: "I am delighted that the judge has granted us permission to appeal. I have to continue to fight for justice so that no one else has to go through what I have. I want parents to have the freedom to bring their children up in line with their Christian beliefs, I want young children to be protected from this harmful ideology. Christians must also to be able to share their opinions and beliefs without fear of losing their jobs."
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: "The story of Kristie Higgs should concern all of us who care about the freedom to be a Christian believer in the UK. We are pleased the judge has granted permission to appeal this crucial case."