A Christian teaching assistant who was sacked after street preaching has won a £7,000 settlement.
Andy Nix, 65, was sacked without notice by Temple Moor High School in Leeds after he took part in street preaching in the city centre in July 2021.
In March 2022, he was called to the headteacher’s office and interrogated about his street preaching after some students complained that it made them feel “unsafe”.
He was sacked on the spot and told to immediately leave the school premises.
With the help of the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), he took legal action against the school claiming harassment, discrimination and a breach of his right to freedom, thought and religion under Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
Following his dismissal, he lodged a claim against the school in the Employment Tribunal but the school has decided to settle the case and pay Mr Nix £7,000 in compensation instead of going to trial.
Welcoming the settlement, Mr Nix said he had been made to “feel like a criminal” for expressing his Christian beliefs.
“The school trampled over my freedom of expression and belief. I am pleased that they agreed to settle the case which I believe was a recognition of wrongdoing,” he said.
“It is, however, a worrying sign if Christians are not allowed to debate, preach and express their faith in public without fear of losing their livelihoods.
“The impact on my life was considerable. I feared for the future, my family finances and it impacted the potential for me to get a permanent full-time role.
“I unashamedly love Jesus and my Christian faith is very important to me. I want others to know and understand this Good News and hope for their lives. I should not be treated like a criminal for doing this.”
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said that “more must be done to protect street preachers” and Christians who express their faith in public in their own time.
“This is a clear example of employer overreach. The classroom and security of jobs cannot be weaponised against teaching staff who are Christians and publicly express their beliefs,” she said.
“The idea that a Christian can be sacked because a pupil says they feel ‘unsafe’ over Christian preaching outside school is ludicrous and deeply concerning.
“We can’t live in a world where the students call the shots and headteachers are forced to comply or be labelled bigoted.”
This article was first published on Christian Today
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