Christian school worker appeals sacking over Facebook posts

A Christian school worker who lost an employment tribunal after claiming she was sacked because of her beliefs is appealing against the ruling.

Kristie Higgs, 46, was dismissed in 2019 from Farmor's School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, for gross misconduct.

A tribunal agreed that her Facebook posts criticising plans to teach LGBT relationships in primary schools were potentially homophobic or transphobic.

A two-day appeal hearing being held in London begins on 16 March.

"I am relieved that the opportunity to appeal is here. Over four years on I am continuing to fight for justice," said Ms Higgs.

The mother-of-two, from Fairford, shared and commented on posts which raised concerns about relationship education at her son's Church of England primary school.

She shared two posts in October 2018 to around 100 friends which referred to "brainwashing" children and "suppressing Christianity and removing it from the public arena".

An anonymous complaint was made to the school and Ms Higgs was suspended and later dismissed for gross misconduct.

She took the school to an employment tribunal arguing she had been unlawfully discriminated against because of her Christian beliefs.

The school denied dismissing Ms Higgs because of her religious views and said she was sacked because of language used in the posts.

In the ruling made in 2020, employment judge Derek Reed ruled her dismissal "was the result of a genuine belief on the part of the school that she had committed gross misconduct".

Ms Higgs said she felt she had to "continue to fight for justice".

"I shared these posts as a mother who was deeply concerned about the compulsory sex education being forced on my nine-year-old son at a Church of England primary school.

"I want parents to have the freedom to bring their children up in line with their Christian beliefs, I want young children to be protected from this harmful ideology," she added.