The Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from a school in Gloucestershire, bringing to a close a lengthy legal battle on freedom of religion.
Kristie Higgs was dismissed from her teaching job in 2018 at Farmor’s School, due to a private Facebook post in which she critiqued books about gender and sexuality at her son’s CofE school, which is not the school she was employed at.
The first post was a shared petition – which she did not create – challenging the government’s decision to include Relationships and Sex Education in primary school teaching. The second centred around two books, My princess boy and Red: A crayon’s story.
In February 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier ruling that had upheld Higgs’ dismissal from her role as a pastoral administrator.
The school argued that Mrs Higgs’ dismissal was related to the language used in the posts, rather than her religious beliefs. However, the Court of Appeal found that her dismissal constituted unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief, emphasising the importance of objective justification for disciplinary measures.
Supreme Court judges Lord Reed, Lord Hamblen and Lady Simler have now declined to review the case, meaning the Court of Appeal’s decision stands as the final word.
Responding to the news, Mrs Higgs said: “I am relieved and grateful to the Supreme Court for this common-sense decision. Christians have the right to express their beliefs on social media and at other non-work-related settings without fear of being punished by their employer.”
The Christian Legal Centre supported Kristie’s case. Chief executive Andrea Williams described the outcome as a significant legal precedent: “We welcome the Supreme Court's decision, which brings a decisive closure to this extraordinary case.
"The Court of Appeal ruling, now unequivocally upheld, powerfully demonstrated that the foundational Christian principles of free speech and religious liberty are not yet extinguished from English law. The resolution of Kristie’s case establishes a critical legal precedent that will resonate for many years to come, protecting the right to express Christian beliefs without fear of reprisal.”
The Court of Appeal’s ruling clarified that, under the Equality Act, traditional Christian beliefs on issues such as gender identity and same-sex marriage are protected. Employers must demonstrate that any disciplinary action linked to the expression of these beliefs is not only justified but also proportionate and necessary in a democratic society.
