A significant legal decision has emerged from the High Court regarding the professional conduct of a teacher whose comments on LGBT issues in a classroom setting led to her dismissal. This ruling not only highlights the delicate balance between personal beliefs and professional responsibilities but also reaffirms the boundaries of acceptable conduct within educational contexts.
The case involves Glawdys Leger, a former teacher at Bishop Justus Church of England School in Bromley, London, who faced dismissal following remarks made during a religious studies class. She described being LGBT as sinful and referred to transgender individuals as “just confused” in a conversation about LGBT allyship with year 7 students, who are approximately 11 years old.
The incident, which occurred in early 2022, led to Ms. Leger’s suspension in March of that year and subsequent dismissal two months later, driven by a complaint from a student’s mother. The complaint highlighted the distress caused to her child, who was in the process of exploring their own identity.
Following her dismissal, a professional conduct panel (PCP) convened in December 2023, concluding that Ms. Leger’s actions constituted unprofessional conduct. However, the panel did not impose a teaching ban.
Challenging her dismissal, Ms. Leger initiated legal proceedings against the Department for Education, arguing that her comments were taken out of context and criticizing the publication of the panel’s decision on the Teaching Regulation Agency’s website as a privacy violation.
Despite her appeal, Justice Lang upheld the dismissal, declaring it lawful. In the judge’s written statement, it was noted: “The [panel] 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.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
