The UK Supreme Court this week rejected an appeal against a court ruling that sided with a Christian teacher.
The case centred on Kristie Higgs, a Christian school worker dismissed in 2018 for social media posts expressing concerns about sex education and transgender ideology in her child’s primary school.
The Supreme Court's decision upholds a landmark February 2025 ruling by the Court of Appeal, which found that Higgs’ dismissal constituted unlawful discrimination based on her religious beliefs.
The February judgment was seen as a turning point in employment law, affirming the right of individuals to express faith-based views outside of work without facing professional consequences.
Higgs, who had worked at the school as a pastoral administrator for seven years without prior complaint, made two posts on her personal Facebook account in 2018 under her maiden name.
The posts questioned the introduction of the government’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum and the use of transgender-themed books – ‘My princess boy’ and ‘Red: A Crayon’s Story’ - in her son’s Church of England primary school. They also rallied family and friends to join in signing a petition contesting it.
An anonymous complaint prompted disciplinary action by the school, ultimately leading to her dismissal for alleged gross misconduct.
The Court of Appeal concluded that the school’s actions were a disproportionate response.
It ruled that employers must provide clear, legal justification for dismissals based on expressions of belief, rather than act on potential reputational risks or assumptions of offence.
The posts, the court noted, were not directed at the school, were shared privately, and did not result in any known harm to pupils or staff.
The Supreme Court this week rejected an appeal made by Farmor’s School in Gloucestershire against February's ruling, bringing an end to a years-long legal fight over freedom of religion and expression in the workplace.
Reacting to the outcome, Mrs Higgs said she was "relieved and grateful to the Supreme Court for this common-sense decision".“Christians have the right to express their beliefs on social media and at other non-work-related settings without fear of being punished by their employer," she said. “Expressing biblical truth is not discriminatory. It is an expression of love and of light.
“Today’s judgment is as important for free speech as it is for freedom of religion.
“Employers will no longer be able to rely on their theoretical fears of reputational damage or subjective concerns about causing offence to discipline employees for exercising their fundamental freedom to express their deeply held beliefs.
“The Court of Appeal has now set a clear standard to protect people like me, and the countless other Christians in this nation, to express their beliefs without fear of losing their jobs.”
Her legal support came from the Christian Legal Centre, whose chief executive, Andrea Williams, called the judgment a “critical precedent” that will “protect the rights to express Christian beliefs without fear of reprisal.”
“The Court of Appeal confirmed, loud and clear, that ideological censorship in the workplace, particularly against sincerely held Christian convictions, is illegal,” she said. “This latest decision from the Supreme Court is further proof that our tireless work at the Christian Legal Centre, in defending so many Christian freedoms cases, has not been in vain.”
Legal analysts view the ruling as a significant development in the interpretation of the Equality Act 2010, especially concerning religious belief in professional contexts.
The Court of Appeal’s stance, now left unchallenged by the Supreme Court, places greater scrutiny on employers’ obligations when navigating expressions of belief by their staff.
The case also arrives amid a broader national conversation on the appropriateness of sex education content in schools.
In 2023, the then serving Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, commissioned a review into “the extreme and sexualised” classroom materials, and updated government guidance to call for respect toward religious beliefs in school settings.
