Thousands of people have signed a petition in support of Sarah Morse, a Catholic teacher who says she was dismissed for giving students honest answers to their questions about abortion.
Morse, a 66-year-old American, was teaching a group of 14 to 15-year-old students at Arbroath High School in Scotland.
The students asked her opinion on controversial topics, such as transgenderism and US President Donald Trump.
When asked about abortion she replied, “I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it.”
By the day’s end Morse says she was summoned to a meeting with a senior member of staff and “summarily dismissed” for talking “about religion and abortion”. Morse says she was not given the opportunity to share her side of the story.
SPUC, which is supporting Morse in her case, said that government guidelines do not prohibit teachers sharing their personal views, provided there is no attempt to persuade the students.
The pro-life organisation has initiated a petition on Citizen Go, calling upon Angus Council to “acknowledge that Sarah Morse was denied a fair and proportionate process” and to ensure that her case is resolved “fairly and lawfully”.
The petition, which at time of publication had over 17,000 signatures, also called upon the council to uphold the right of teachers to express their “protected beliefs” and to ensure that teachers are no longer punished for giving honest answers to students' questions.
Morse has taken the council to an Employment Tribunal, which is due to take place on 24 August.
SPUC said in their petition, “If a teacher can lose their job simply for answering a pupil's question according to their conscience, then every teacher of faith receives the same message: Hide your beliefs - or risk losing your career.
“This case is about far more than one teacher. It is about whether Christian teachers - and indeed teachers of any faith or protected belief - can answer pupils honestly without fearing professional ruin.”
John Deighan, SPUC chief executive, said the case raised important questions about whether people in Britain can peacefully express their sincerely held beliefs without fear of losing their livelihoods.
"If people can lose their livelihoods simply for expressing a peaceful pro-life belief when asked a direct question, then freedom of conscience and freedom of expression are at risk for all of us," he said.
"Together with CitizenGO, SPUC has launched a petition calling on Angus Council to resolve Sarah’s case fairly, respect freedom of belief and expression and help ensure that no one else faces similar treatment for peacefully expressing their convictions."
Angus Council said it would be inappropriate to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
