Christian lost social worker job offer ‘over LGBT fears’

A CHRISTIAN preacher had his dream social worker job withdrawn because it was feared his beliefs would lead to the suicides of LGBT patients, an employment tribunal heard.

Reverend Felix Ngole, 46, had been offered employment with Touchstone, a Stonewall-backed NHS provider which delivers mental health and wellbeing services to 10,000 individuals each year across Yorkshire, in 2022.

After the charity learnt he believed homosexuality was a sin, he was called in for another interview and turned down. Mr Ngole, of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, told Leeds employment tribunal he has worked as a youth worker, teacher and pastor for 20 years, and had helped gipsies, lesbians, gays and trans people during that time.

In answer to a Touchstone report in which it was stated Mr Ngole’s employment could lead to vulnerable service users killing themselves because of his beliefs, he said: “If just 2 per cent of it (the report) was correct, that when people see me they might kill themselves, then, I’m telling you, the graveyards in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster would be full.

“I have worked with people from the gipsy community, gay and lesbian. Not long ago I worked with a trans person and I treated them as a human being. When I look at a person I see a human being, I don’t look under your trousers to see if you are a man or a woman.”

Mr Ngole, a preacher at a Pentecostal church who came to Britain from Cameroon, denied he was transphobic or homophobic at the hearing. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, he is bringing claims of discrimination, harassment, and breaches of the Equality Act 2010 against Touchstone.

The tribunal continues.