Teacher loses court case over LGBT+ 'sin' comments

A Christian teacher who told pupils at a south-east London school that being LGBT+ was a "sin" and that transgender people were "just confused" has lost a High Court challenge over a finding of unprofessional conduct.

Glawdys Leger made the comments to her year seven pupils during a presentation in a religious studies lesson at Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, in February 2022.

Ms Leger, 44, argued that a professional conduct panel (PCP) had failed to put her comments in context.

But a judge has dismissed her case, saying that it was a "justifiable and proportionate sanction for her unacceptable professional conduct".

Ms Leger was suspended in March 2022 before being dismissed two months later.

During a class discussion on "allyship", Ms Leger said that being LGBT+ was "not fine" and that pupils should put God before LGBTQ ideology, the PCP previously found.

The PCP hearing was told that Ms Leger's comments were recorded by an 11-year-old pupil, who had been advised by her mother to note down any "transphobic" remarks.

The mother then complained to the school, saying Ms Leger's comments were "very distressing" for her child.

In December 2023, the PCP found the teacher's actions amounted to unprofessional conduct, with the result of the case being published on the Teaching Regulation Agency's website, although she was not banned from teaching.

In her legal challenge at the High Court against the Department for Education (DfE), Ms Leger argued that the school's duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum did not apply to her as an individual teacher.

In a written judgment, Mrs Justice Lang said: "The PCP and the secretary of state made a lawful decision that publication of the findings was a justifiable and proportionate sanction for her unacceptable professional conduct."

Ms Leger had also argued that the decision by the PCP to publish the finding was unlawful as it infringed on her privacy and would make it "difficult, if not impossible, to obtain new employment".

But Mrs Justice Lang said the PCP had been compelled to publish its finding and "went no further than it considered justified".

She added: "The result was the nuanced finding that while 'Ms Leger's comments lacked respect for the right of others' this did not derive 'from a lack of a tolerance' nor had she any 'intention of causing distress to pupils'.

"That said, her 'actions were at risk of upsetting pupils in the lesson' and her 'choice not to present a balanced view undermined the school community's aspiration to provide a supportive environment for children who may be exploring sexual identity'."

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