A Christian teacher has lost a High Court battle after he appealed against being thrown off his Sheffield University social work course for allegedly posting 'derogatory' comments about homosexuals and bisexuals on Facebook.
Felix Ngole, a 38 year-old father of four from Cameroon, was asked to leave the University of Sheffield in early 2016, where he was in the second year of a Masters in social work. University faculty said Ngole might have 'caused offence' by expressing support for Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk jailed after refusing to issue same-sex marriage licences.
In comments on Facebook in September 2015 Ngole quoted Leviticus in support of biblical teaching on marriage and sexual ethics, saying homosexuality was sinful.
Ngole had protested against his departure claiming his human rights had been breached. However, following a judicial review Deputy High Court judge Rowena Collins-Rice today ruled against him, according to The Metro. Lawyers defending the university decision had said that that university officials had to consider his 'fitness to practise' as a social worker, and said Mr Ngole showed 'no insight'.
Ngole and his lawyer, Paul Diamond, have said that he was merely expressing a 'traditional' Christian view on sexuality. His case was supported by the Christian Legal Centre, part of the advocacy group Christian Concern.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, previously said: 'The university's treatment of Felix fundamentally violates its responsibilities under human rights legislation.
'The university has failed to protect his freedom of speech...and his freedom of religion.'
She added: 'There is no evidence that Felix's views adversely impacted his work. Quite the contrary, he was a hard-working student who would be an asset to the profession. Sadly, this is yet another case of Christians being punished in the public arena, and of censorship of views.'
Defending the university, barrister Sarah Hannett previously said the problem was not Ngole's views but how they were expressed. She said Ngole 'posted comments on a publicly accessible Facebook page that were derogatory of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals.
'The views expressed are likely to undermine the trust and confidence that lesbian, gay and bisexual clients are entitled to have in his professional role as a social worker (and in the social work profession more widely).'
