A secondary school teacher who told year 7 pupils at a Church of England school that being LGBTQ+ was a sin and is “not fine”, and that transgender people are “just confused”, has lost her appeal against dismissal.
Glawdys Leger, a Christian, lost her teaching job after 12 years at Bishop Justus Church of England School, Bromley in May 2022 after a pupil’s mother complained about “very distressing” comments she allegedly made in class. The pupil was “exploring” who she was.
The school’s website states: “We nurture all of our students to know their identity is rooted in the love that God has for them.”
Glawdys had previously told the school about her religious objections to the content of the LGBT curriculum and her discomfort about teaching anything related to LGBT+ ideology. She made her comments to pupils when she was asked to teach a religious studies lesson that included a PowerPoint presentation on LGBTQ+ topics and protected characteristics.
A Professional Conduct Panel decided her comments were inappropriate and amounted to unprofessional conduct. It said her refusal to teach the material was contrary to the school’s religious studies policy on equal opportunities. She was not banned from teaching.
Glawdys arguing that her comments had not been considered within the “immediate context” in which she made them. However, the High Court rejected her argument.
It said her comments lacked respect for the rights of others; she risked upsetting her pupils and failed to understand how her position of influence could impact them; and it was her choice not to provide a balanced view.
