Christian Teacher Banned in the UK for Standing up for Truth

I can’t imagine how difficult it is to be a Christian in education these days, particularly in places like the UK that don’t have First-Amendment speech protections. It seems like Christian teachers can’t say much of anything without getting in trouble anymore, and one teacher in the UK is reaping the consequences of staying true to his convictions.

In 2017, Cherwell School in Oxford fired Joshua Sutcliffe, a math teacher — or “maths” as they call it in the UK — for referring to two girls as, well, girls. An innocent statement of “well done, girls” to two female students who had completed a problem led to controversy because one of the girls identified as a boy.

Trouble followed Sutcliffe wherever he went. He transferred to a Catholic school and landed in hot water for recommending an Allie Beth Stuckey video about masculinity without presenting alternate views. He faced criticism for calling Mohammed a false prophet and for saying that he was opposed to same-sex marriage.

But it’s the “misgendering” of a girl who wants to be a boy that’s the biggest mark on his record, and it led to a hefty ban from a government board.

“In an outcome believed to be the first of its kind, a Christian maths teacher has been banned by the Secretary of State for Education for ‘bringing the profession into disrepute’ for not using the preferred pronouns of a female student who identified as a boy,” reports Christian Concern (emphasis in the original). “A Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) professional conduct panel has, with the backing of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, ruled that Joshua Sutcliffe was guilty of unprofessional conduct and has banned him from teaching in any capacity for at least two years and potentially indefinitely.”

Parents rallied to Sutcliffe’s support. “Joshua was very good at his job and teaching,” said one parent. “Patient, kind, and considerate, he was respectful and good at explaining things. My daughter enjoyed being taught by him and it was a very positive experience. I have never witnessed him being unkind to anyone.”

Another parent, whose son Sutcliffe had been tutoring for several years, said, “Joshua helped my son become an A* student for GCSE Maths. Joshua has never been inappropriate in any way. He is a gentleman, he is considerate, he is trustworthy, professional, and good time keeping. He is like a mentor to my son. He is very focused on tutoring my son to make sure he really understands Maths.”

The Christian Legal Centre is assisting Sutcliffe in an appeal, citing some inconsistencies. “The ruling against Joshua is also at odds with the Education Secretary’s recent defence of a teacher at a private all-girls school who was accused of ‘misgendering’ after saying ‘good afternoon girls,’” Christian Concern points out. In the meantime, Sutcliffe says he’s “heartbroken” and doesn’t know how he’ll support his family.

“This ruling sends a clear message that Christian teachers can no longer express their beliefs in the teaching profession,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, in a statement. “If you are, you will be hounded out and barred from being in the classroom.”

“For loving Jesus, speaking truth in his personal time, and responding to questions from students on the Christian faith, he has been hounded out of the teaching profession,” Williams added. “Joshua will appeal, and we will stand with him for as long as it takes to get justice.”

We should pray that Sutcliffe gets the justice that he deserves.

At the end of the day, the pride cult hates Judeo-Christian values and wants nothing more than to tear them down. We must stand our ground.

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