Tribunal told to reconsider case of Christian social worker denied job

A Christian social worker has won an appeal over his claim that he was denied a job because of his biblical views on marriage and sexual ethics.

In 2022, a mental health charity in Leeds withdrew a conditional job offer to Mr Felix Ngole over fears its clients might be ‘upset and offended’ if they came across his social media posts stating that same-sex relationships are sinful.

An employment tribunal backed the charity, but Judge James Tayler has ruled at the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London that the previous decision “erred in law in its analysis of certain complaints”.

Legal precedent

Judge Tayler remitted the case back to the same tribunal, saying it must decide whether “the treatment of the claimant was, in reality, because of his religious beliefs as opposed to something properly separable from them that justified the treatment”.

He acknowledged that the tribunal did not have the benefit of the Court of Appeal’s decision in the case of Christian teaching assistant Mrs Kristie Higgs, and advised that it consult the “analysis set out in this judgment” in its further deliberations.

Mr Ngole, who is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC) said: “I am pleased to see the Employment Appeal Tribunal recognise that I should not have been refused this job solely because people might discover my mainstream Christian beliefs online.”

‘Clear message’

CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams welcomed the ruling, but criticised the decision to send the case back to the original tribunal.

“No one should be penalised for affirming Biblical marriage – a lifelong union of a man and a woman.

“The courts need to send the clear message: Christian beliefs are welcome in this society and no employer can mistreat an employee because of their Biblical beliefs.”