School free speech warning

The evangelical chaplain at the centre of a landmark employment tribunal has told en that if he loses it will be ‘open season’ for schools to cancel orthodox Christian beliefs.

The Revd Dr Bernard Randall was chaplain at Trent College near Nottingham when he gave a sermon in 2019 defending pupils’ rights to question the school’s introduction of LGBT policies. It also expressed the Church of England’s official, orthodox teaching on sexuality to students. The school subsequently reported him to the government ‘terrorist’ watchdog Prevent – which refused to investigate.

Dr Randall subsequently lost his job and took his claim to the employment tribunal. The hearing concluded recently after a lengthy delay and the outcome is expected in the new year.

At the hearing, Dr Randall said: ‘Truth, Christian faith, freedom of faith and speech’ were ‘ridden roughshod over’. The tribunal was also told his words angered teaching colleagues and distressed pupils, however, just two complaints were made out of 300 pupils who heard the sermon, said Dr Randall’s barrister.

en asked Dr Randall what the implications could be if his claim is rejected. He said: ‘My case boils down to a legal test of the fact that schools have a statutory obligation actively to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of other faiths and beliefs. But does that really mean anything?

‘All of these values include free speech in some form. So the crucial question is this: when a pupil (or member of staff) is offended by someone expressing a legitimate religious or philosophical belief, should a school shut down the person expressing the belief, or teach the offended person about the need to live with disagreements?

‘If I lose my case, it will be open season for schools to cancel orthodox Christian beliefs, or indeed the expression of any other non-Woke viewpoint.’

Dr Randall has also been barred by his bishop from officiating in church services. Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting him, said the CofE has misused safeguarding and ‘capitulated to the pressure and washed their hands of him’. She added: ‘I would love to have seen the Church of England defend Bernard Randall after his moderate and thoughtful sermon upholding the Church’s teaching.’

Dr Randall said the experience ‘has been a huge test of my faith’. He added: ‘How can I think the CofE loves God when it is walking so far away from where it should be? Woke activists are eating away at the CofE’s guts. Instead of following Jesus, who calls us to radical change, it becomes just about “being nice” to people.’