A London primary school teacher has reportedly been banned from working with children after telling a Muslim student that Britain is still a Christian state.
The teacher — who has chosen to stay anonymous — was suspended and later fired after he scolded pupils for washing their feet in the sinks of the boys’ toilets. After the incident, he told the Year 6 class that Islam is a minority religion in the UK. According to the child who complained, he also mentioned that there was an Islamic school only a mile away if they preferred to attend that instead.
He was suspended and dismissed in March last year, according to The Telegraph. A month later, he was referred to a local safeguarding board and the Metropolitan Police.
The safeguarding officer reportedly ruled that his comments were hurtful toward Islam and caused emotional harm to the child.
Police have since dropped the inquiry, but the teacher is now suing the local authority with support from the Free Speech Union. He is also appealing the ban and is currently working part-time at another school outside London.
Lord Young, director of the Free Speech Union, said on Monday:
“This teacher lost his job and was almost banned from the profession for life simply for pointing out that the national religion of England is Anglicanism.
If saying something that is factually true makes you a safeguarding risk, then we have a serious problem. Had he falsely claimed Islam was England’s official religion, he probably wouldn’t have faced any consequences.”
Another Case Sparks Free Speech Concerns
The story follows a similar case involving an Iraq war veteran in Wales.
Jamie Michael, 47, from Penygraig, was banned from coaching his daughter’s football team — even after being cleared of a hate crime in just 17 minutes.
He had been charged with inciting racial hatred over a Facebook video where he called some illegal migrants “scumbags” and “psychopaths” during riots triggered by the Southport murders. After he was acquitted, authorities told him that a “child protection concern” against him had been “substantiated” — less than two weeks after his not-guilty verdict.
As a result, the Football Association of Wales has barred him from coaching, following a private meeting with a safeguarding officer and South Wales Police.
Free speech advocates say cases like this are becoming more common.
According to the Free Speech Union, they have identified more than a dozen instances where safeguarding laws meant to protect children are being used to silence people with right-leaning or patriotic views.