An employment tribunal has adjourned the case of a Christian social worker whose job offer was withdrawn because of his beliefs on marriage and human sexuality.
The Leeds Employment Tribunal spent this week hearing the case of Felix Ngole, a 45-year-old Christian who says he was told by Touchstone, a health and wellbeing provider for the NHS, that an offer for the job of mental health worker was conditional on assurances that he would "embrace and promote" the organisation's values, "including the promotion of homosexual rights".
According to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is supporting him, this requirement was not stipulated in the job description.
He is taking legal action against Touchstone on the grounds of discrimination, harassment, indirect discrimination, and compensation for injury to feelings.
The hearing got underway this week but has now been adjourned after Mr Ngole's lawyers submitted expert evidence on 'minority stress theory'.
Minority stress theory was developed by Rev Dr Paul Sullins, a professor of sociology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, and argues that people who are minorities experience disproportionate distress when they encounter ideas which are adverse to their beliefs.
The hearing has been adjourned so that the court can consider the evidence and Touchstone lawyers can provide evidence in response.
It is now expected to resume in April 2024.
Mr Ngole said that he was "frustrated" by the delay but relieved that "the crucial evidence backing my case will now be heard".
It is not the first time Mr Ngole has had to fight for his beliefs in court, having won a landmark victory against the University of Sheffield for removing him from a social work course after he said during a debate on Facebook that believed marriage was between a man and woman and that homosexual practice is sinful.
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams said that his 2019 court victory had important implications for his current case.
"Viewpoint discrimination is escalating in the UK at an alarming rate. We have seen in the recent cases of high street banks denying Christians and free speech advocates the right to a bank account how far organisations captured by Stonewall are prepared to go. Anyone who does not comply and celebrate LGBT ideology must become a 'non-person," she said.
"The Court of Appeal judgment in Felix's case against the University of Sheffield was a major development of the law and must be upheld and respected in current and future Christian freedom cases."
Speaking ahead of this week's hearing, Mr Ngole said, "It is untenable for employers to be allowed to discriminate against Christian beliefs in this way and to force individuals to promote an ideology that goes against their conscience in the workplace."
He added, "If we get to the point where if you don't celebrate and support LGBT you can't have a job, then every Christian out there doesn't have a future. You can study as much as you like, but you will not have a chance."
