Christian teacher who 'misgendered' trans pupil banned from profession - but defiantly vows to appeal decision
23 May 2023, 09:42
A Christian teacher who was forced to leave two different schools for “misgendering” and then labelling Muhammad a “false prophet” has been banned from the profession.
Joshua Sutcliffe, 33, was deemed to have failed to treat a pupil with “dignity and respect” according to the findings of the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) .
According to the panel, he also failed to protect the pupil's wellbeing when he refused to use the preferred pronouns of a girl who identified as a boy.
Sutcliffe was suspended from his role as a maths teacher at two different schools – first from Cherwell School in Oxford and then from a Catholic school in Islington, North London.
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The teacher was initially suspended in 2017 before later quitting. He was then dismissed from a second school whilst employed in London in 2019.
With the Oxford academy stating his “misgendering” went against its equality policy, Sutcliffe then took legal action against Cherwell School for constructive dismissal and discrimination.Claiming he had been victimised for his Christian beliefs, both parties later settled out of court.
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After being found guilty of unacceptable conduct in the classroom, Mr Sutcliffe was banned by the TRA's decision maker Alan Meyrick on behalf of Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary.
"In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession," Mr Meyrick said.
Following the verdict, Mr Sutcliffe is said to be "devastated" according to The Telegraph, noting that he will appeal the decision seek the support of the Christian Legal Centre.
He added: "I believe affirming children in gender confusion in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them. I refuse to go against my conscience and cause a child harm and refuse to apologise for that."
Aside from misgendered the pupil, Mr Sutcliffe was also found guilty of misconduct, voicing views opposing gay marriage.
Mr Sutcliffe was said to have failed to “consider the potential impact” of his answer to a question on the subject when it came to children who may be from the LGBT+ community.
