A Christian school assistant who was fired after sharing concerns about sex education lessons and transgenderism in schools will have her case heard today by the Court of Appeal.
Kristie Higgs is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, which said that her case “has significant ramifications for Christian freedom in the workplace and the freedom of any employee to express biblical principles on marriage and family, some of which may express opposition to LGBTQI+ ideology, in public or private, without the fear of losing their livelihoods”.Higgs lost her job at Farmor’s Secondary School in 2019 over two posts she shared the year before on her personal Facebook account under her maiden name.
The posts questioned the introduction of mandatory relationships and sex education lessons in her son’s primary school, and the promotion of transgenderism in school library books. Although the posts did not mention her employer, the school received an anonymous complaint, leading to her dismissal for gross misconduct.
She challenged her sacking at an employment tribunal in 2020 but the judgment upheld the school’s decision, concluding that it was justified in firing her because her posts could be perceived as “transphobic” and “homophobic”.An Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that the case should be sent back to the Employment Tribunal to be heard again, but this verdict was successfully appealed by Higgs’ lawyers who argued that the ruling and guidance from the EAT diminished free speech protections.
