Christian mum sues school claiming her son, 4, was forced to take part in LGBT parade
2 February 2023, 10:15 | Updated: 2 February 2023, 16:26
A devout Christian mother is suing her son’s school, claiming he was made to take part in an LGBT pride parade.
Born-again Christian Izzy Montague, 38, says the headteacher of Heavers Farm Primary School in South Norwood, southeast London, said her son could not opt out of the event in June 2018.
Parents received a letter from the school on June 19 inviting them to attend a Pride march and "celebrate the differences that make them and their family special."
Mrs Montague contacted the school a week later "and asked for her son to be excused from attendance on June 29 as they were concerned with him being involved in a public display of adherence to views which she did not accept”.
Central London County Court heard that the request was denied by the headteacher, Ms Susan Papas, to which Mrs Montague replied with a lengthy email explaining why her son should not attend.
At the beginning of an eight-day case, Judge Christopher Lethem described Montague and her husband as "devout born-again Christians, and they bear a belief that sexual relations should be abstained from or take place within a life-long marriage between a man and a woman and any activity outside those confines is sinful."
He said: "They also say pride is considered to be the most serious of the deadly sins.”
The family, who are being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, is suing the school on the grounds of direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and breach of statutory duty under the Education Act 1996 and the Human Rights Act 1998.
The case is the first time a UK court has been tasked with scrutinising the legality of imposing LGBT ideology on primary schools.
