A London primary school teacher was sacked and referred to authorities after telling a Muslim pupil that Britain was a “Christian country”, according to the lawyer who backed his legal challenge.
The case earlier this year contributed to the wider debate about free speech, multiculturalism and the use of safeguards in British schools – the system designed to ensure a safe environment in which children can learn.
PASTOR WINS BATTLE TO CONTINUE PREACHING ON BRITISH STREETS AFTER POLICE TOLD HIM HE CAN’T DISCUSS OTHER RELIGIONS
King Charles III serves as head of the Church of England – a fact the fired teacher cited when telling a student that Britain is still a Christian country. (Richard Pohle – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The complaint also alleged the student washing his feet in a school sink – a pre-prayer ritual for Muslims. “The parent of a boy at the school complained because the teacher told the boy not to wash his feet in one of the sinks in the school toilets,” Young added.
He said the Free Speech Union is seeing an increase in referrals to protection panels for mainstream views. “We have more than a dozen cases where people have been referred to safeguarding panels on the grounds that they pose a threat to the safety of children simply because of the views they have expressed.”
British government accused of stifling freedom of expression: ‘THINK BEFORE YOU POST’
A Union flag flies in front of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
After the school dismissed the teacher, the matter was referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA). Young said the TRA held a full hearing and ultimately “dismissed the charges” because there was “no case to answer.” If it had gone the other way, he said, the teacher could have been banned from the profession for life. The Free Speech Union is now funding the teacher’s lawsuit for unfair dismissal.
Young also linked the case to a national debate about the British government’s work on a non-legal definition of Islamophobia, something his organization opposes. He warned that such a definition could be embedded in ‘speech codes’, with possible disciplinary consequences.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He said the ruling party fears losing parliamentary seats to independent Muslim candidates – a dynamic he said has created political incentives to grant “special protection” to Muslim constituencies.
