An Employment Tribunal in early March heard that Christian views on marriage should not be expressed in the workplace.
Last year Sarah Mbuyi was dismissed from her job after a colleague lodged a formal complaint against her.
Lesbian couple
The colleague had commented that she would consider Christianity only when she and her lesbian partner could get married in church, and that she thought God would approve. Miss Mbuyi responded by sharing her belief in the biblical teaching that homosexuality is a sin. Sarah was investigated and immediately dismissed for gross misconduct, a penalty normally reserved for theft or violence.
At the hearing, Deshpal Panesar, Counsel for the employer, said: ‘The employer dismissed [Sarah] for expressing fundamentally discriminatory views about homosexuality, namely that it is a sin. [Sarah’s] views were not merely in terms of “my faith believes” but were expressed as absolute truths. Those views, whilst they may be held in private, are fundamentally discriminatory against homosexuals and have no place in being expressed in the workplace.’
Not in private
The application by her former employers for the case to be heard in private was rejected by the judge. The judge asked Counsel if it will be giving evidence regarding the percentage of Christians who hold an orthodox biblical view on sexual ethics.
