A chaplain who told school students that they did not have to agree with ideologies around human identity claims he was blacklisted by the Diocese of Derby as a "moderate risk to children".
Rev Dr Bernard Randall was a chaplain at Trent College, a Church of England school, when he made the comments during a sermon in the chapel after students apparently asked him, "How come we are told we have to accept all this LGBT stuff in a Christian school?"
In his sermon, Dr Randall presented the traditional Christian view of human identity and sexuality - which remains the official position of the Church of England - and told students that they were not compelled to "accept an ideology they disagree with" but should debate and make up their own minds about the issue.
He was subsequently dismissed for gross misconduct and was reported by the school to Prevent, the government's terrorist watchdog which found that Dr Randall had done nothing wrong.
Speaking ahead of an Employment Tribunal hearing this week, Dr Randall said, "I have been marked as a 'risk to children' by Church officials for expressing, moderately, the C of E's own teaching on human sexuality in a CofE chapel.
"I do not believe delivering a sermon can be a safeguarding issue. I did not think anything I said was wrong. I certainly didn't make personal attacks.
"I was told by the safeguarding team at Derby Diocese that my sermon and my views, based on CofE teaching, could potentially cause someone anxiety, as if that is abuse.
"If the Church of England believes that its own teaching based on the Bible is a safeguarding risk then what does this say about what state it's in?"
According to the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is defending Dr Randall, the safeguarding team in the Diocese of Derby conducted a risk assessment and concluded that he posed a "moderate risk to children" and vulnerable adults.
It is also alleged to have concluded that "the Church itself is a risk-factor".
The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Rev Libby Lane, has since refused to allow Dr Randall to officiate in church services, which lawyers will argue is an act of discrimination, harassment and a breach of the Equality Act 2010.
Andrea Williams, CLC chief executive, accused the Church of England of the "wholesale misuse of safeguarding".
"I would love to have seen the Church of England defend Bernard Randall after his moderate and thoughtful sermon upholding the Church's teaching," she said.
"I would love to have seen them say that he was a faithful minister doing the job he loved and serving the children at Trent College. If they had done that and helped him to keep his position we wouldn't be where we are today.
"Instead, the Church of England capitulated to the pressure and washed their hands of him. Astonishingly, they cooperated with Trent College to ensure he was blacklisted from his vocation for expressing the CofE's own teaching on marriage and human sexuality."
Dr Randall, 49, said his experience had been "hostile, traumatic and deeply stressful" and that he was concerned about his future.
"I had always wanted to give the diocese a chance to see sense and to sort this situation out properly internally. I have always been so loyal to the Church, but sadly that has not been reciprocated," he said.
Dr Randall said he had received "no protection at all" from the Church of England and that the Church "should have known better and done better".
He continued, "'Safeguarding' has been weaponised against what they believe to be a difficult voice.
"The Bishop of Derby has shown moral cowardice in refusing to stand up for the goodness of the Church's own teaching, and totally failed to support and vindicate me.
"Sadly, the C of E seems to care more about its reputation in the secular world than showing spiritual leadership – it has become managerialised.
"The woke activists who have captured much of the C of E cannot tolerate any opposition to their agenda, even moderate and considered opposition which encourages debate.
"This has been a huge test of my faith. What has happened has never made me think about not being a Christian, but it has made me profoundly question the CofE and my place in it.
"How can I think the CofE loves God when it is walking so far away from where it should be? Woke activists are eating away at the CofE's guts. Instead of following Jesus, who calls us to radical change, it becomes just about 'being nice' to people."
Ms Williams said that the outcome of the case will have "huge ramifications for Christian freedoms and freedom of speech in this country".
"Bernard Randall is a good man who loves Jesus and biblical truth and is passionate about the hope that is found in the gospel for school communities," she said.
"He is kind, intelligent and is not a safeguarding risk to anyone. It is the rise of LGBT ideology and activism within the Church of England that is the 'risk' to good and faithful clergy such as Bernard and to children who are badly failed by its misleading guidance on transgenderism in schools.
"It is untenable for the CofE to allow its safeguarding teams to say that the CofE and the Bible is a risk-factor to itself.
"This is a profoundly upsetting and perverse situation which the Derby Diocese and senior figures within the Church of England have refused to confront and resolve."
The Diocese of Derby has been contacted for comment.
