Stop vilifying Christians for their beliefs
Another decent, hard-working woman has been thrown out of a job, this time over an online protest against transgender teaching at her son’s primary school. Teaching assistant and committed Christian Kristie Higgs had not committed any offence, yet her devotion to children in her care and her unblemished record counted for nothing.
She had to appear before a six-hour disciplinary hearing during which a governor at Farmor’s School in Gloucestershire likened her social media posts to those of a pro-Nazi, far-Right extremist. Six hours? I wouldn’t have given them six minutes, let alone six hours.
Another governor told her that she had no ‘absolute right’ to freedom of speech. Yes she does. Who on earth do these people think they are? David Smith, Oldham
I cannot see that the school acted incorrectly. Teachers, along with many other people, are required to use social media in a manner which does not bring their profession into disrepute. Mrs Higgs’s Facebook account clearly identified her as being a schoolteacher, and by posting and/ or liking comments which were potentially discriminatory, she was, at best, unwise, and, at worst, in breach of her contract of employment. Surely she must be aware that when investigating a complaint regarding her alleged misuse of social media, her employers would have no choice but to ‘trawl’ through her work email account.
The purpose of a school is to educate children for adult life and I do not understand how introducing children to issues affecting trans people can fail to help them grow up in a complex world. Keeley-Jasmine Cavendish, London
We are supposed to have free speech but it seems that this is a one-way street, with those who choose to swim against the tide of popular opinion being labelled homophobic or bigoted. There is a groundswell of opinion against Christianity. What a pity that freedom of speech doesn’t extend to Christians in what is supposed to be a Christian country.
A. Pettigrew, Haslingden, Lancs This is a chilling tale. Mrs Higgs was sacked by her secondary school for what she wrote on Facebook about her children’s primary school. And her sole accuser chooses to remain anonymous. Truly we are living in a Big Brother state. I do hope she is receiving support from her church and her family, and that her case for unfair dismissal will be vigorously defended. Name and address supplied
I do believe children should learn about trans issues but not at primary level. At that age it is just going to confuse little inquisitive minds. David Bornean, Skipton, North Yorkshire
While Mrs Higgs is entitled to hold whatever views she wants, she cannot seek to undermine her employer. G. Copley, London