Christian teacher persecuted
A Christian teacher has been suspended from a senior post for complaining that a staff training day was used to promote homosexual rights.
Kwabena Peat, 54, left a compulsory training session with several other Christian colleagues at the north London school after the speaker, Sue Sanders, invited by the school headteacher, openly questioned why people thought heterosexuality was natural.
Mr Peat says that Ms Sanders, who openly describes herself as a lesbian, told him and his colleagues that those who did not accept that being homosexual was normal had issues they must deal with.
Mr Peat said: ‘I expected the training session to help us by providing good information on how to handle bullying but she had another agenda. She started promoting homosexual lifestyles and suggesting those who had objections should sort out their prejudices’.
Mr Peat, who is a year-head on a £50,000 salary, and other staff were deeply upset that teaching staff and others who disagreed out of Christian conviction were given no opportunity to respond.
Persecution
Following the training day Mr Peat wrote privately to three staff members involved in organising the session, including a deputy head, complaining about Ms Sanders’ aggressive presentation. Sue Sanders is the co-founder of the Schools Out organisation, which campaigns for homosexual equality in education.
The three staff complained to the school’s principal, claiming, although they were senior to Mr Peat, they felt ‘harassed and intimidated’ by his letter. After an investigation, Mr Peat was suspended and placed on paid leave pending the outcome of disciplinary investigations hearings. He is now being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, who have instructed the leading human rights barrister, Paul Diamond, to represent him.
Mr Peat, who has spent most of his teaching life working in inner-city London Schools and is a father of three children, said: ‘I’m not surprised by all this, but I am disappointed. I’m the one being harassed and intimidated for expressing my religious views. As an experienced professional I am supportive of equality and diversity programmes and have always got on well with colleagues who are well aware of my Christian beliefs.’
Mr Peat has been suspended since the training day in January and has not been allowed to return to work.
