A black Christian woman working as a teaching assistant in the United Kingdom has received an apology from the school she works in after she was supposedly treated "like a criminal" for expressing her opposition to gay unions during class.
The Brannel School in St. Austell in Corwall county issued an apology to 51-year-old Victoria Allen to settle a legal dispute out of court, The Daily Mail reported.
The issue between Allen and the school started when a 14-year-old pupil asked the teaching assistant during her English class about her opinion on same-sex unions.
As a Christian, Allen gave her personal opinion on the issue, saying she did not agree with homosexual unions.
"If a child asks my personal opinion, I feel I should give it," the Christian woman said, as quoted by The Daily Mail.
Although the boy who asked the question was not offended, his mother still lodged a complaint, prompting the school to launch formal disciplinary actions against Allen for supposedly violating the equal opportunities policies.
While admitting that employees of the school should share "balanced views," Allen lamented how she was made to "feel like a criminal" for sharing her "personal, biblical beliefs."
Libby Powell of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Mrs. Allens' claim, also defended her client's right to freely express her views based on her Christian faith.
"Vicky was asked a question about her personal opinion. We know that there are lots of people who disagree with the biblical view of marriage and they are free to disagree. What we want to say is that there has to be space for the other point of view," Powell said.
In a statement, head teacher Andy Edmonds "recognised Victoria Allen's right to share her Christian beliefs with students and has apologised for any upset she may have felt during the disciplinary process."
