Christian teacher to appeal ban over 'misgendering'.
Joshua Sutcliffe.(Photo: Christian Legal Centre)A Christian teacher is to appeal against being barred from the
profession after he refused to use a student's preferred pronouns.
Joshua Sutcliffe, 32, was banned indefinitely by the Secretary of
State for Education for his refusal to refer to a biologically female
student as a boy.
The Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) struck him off last year
after an investigation and disciplinary hearing claimed he had
brought the profession "into disrepute".
He is appealing the verdict after the government published
draft guidance on transgenderism in schools last December
stating that neither teachers nor pupils should be compelled
to use preferred pronouns.
"No teacher or pupil should be compelled to use these preferred
pronouns and it should not prevent teachers from referring to
children collectively as 'girls' or 'boys,' even in the presence of a
child that has been allowed to change their pronouns," states
section 6.3 of the draft guidance.
Mr Sutcliffe is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre
(CLC) in his decision to appeal the TRA's ruling to the High Court.
He is also pursuing a Judicial Review of the decision to ban him.
He said that while he felt "vindicated" by the release of the draft
government guidance, it "means nothing" if his teaching ban
remains in place.
"To continue to be barred from the profession I love in light of the
draft guidance would be another of the many cruel injustices I have
had to face for expressing my Christian beliefs," he said.
"In 2017 there was no training and no guidance on these issues for
teachers. I was a young teacher building my career in the profession
at a time when schools were taking guidance from Stonewall, not the
government or any experts on these issues.
"After the pronouns debacle, I was a marked man in the education
system and was pursued for any expression of my Christian belief
until I was forced out of the profession indefinitely.
"Based on this ruling, every teacher is at risk if they share their
beliefs and views in the classroom. I believe affirming children in
gender confusion in the classroom is psychologically damaging for
them. I refused to go against my conscience and cause a child harm
and refused to apologise for that.
"The TRA wanted me to capitulate and say that I was wrong. I have
been mercilessly punished for refusing to do so. I have been bullied
and pursued and have had every part of my life scrutinised for
expressing my beliefs and biological truth.
"This decision has put me and my family at risk. I have a young
son and everything that is happening is affecting him. In light of
the new guidance, I believe it is time for the TRA and the government
to do the right thing."
The CLC's Andrea Williams said it was "now high time for justice
for Joshua" and that the TRA ruling "cannot stand in light of the
new guidance".
"We can't underestimate the chilling impact that the ruling in
Joshua Sutcliffe's case has. Teachers are intimidated into silence
for fear of losing their jobs if they say something with which the
regulator disagrees," she said.
"The teaching profession is no longer an easy place to navigate for
Christian teachers. Expressing long held Christian beliefs on marriage
and gender can get you suspended, investigated and barred."
She added, "If the guidance had been in place six years ago, none of
what Joshua has been through would have happened. It's now time
for justice for Joshua. The ban must be overturned." CT.
