The case of a chaplain who lost his job over comments he made about LGBT ideology in a school sermon is to return to court for a re-trial.
Judge James Tayler overturned the previous employment tribunal ruling against Rev Dr Bernard Randall, declaring it "unsafe" due to anti-Christian bias by a panel member.
The case will now be retried, although a date is yet to be set for the hearing.
It is six years since Dr Randall was dismissed from Trent College, a school with a Church of England ethos, after delivering a sermon in the chapel in which he suggested that students were allowed to disagree with LGBT ideology.
He preached the sermon in response to an invitation from the school to Educate and Celebrate (E&C), a now defunct LGBT charity whose aims included to “smash heteronormativity”.
In September 2022, an employment tribunal ruled against Dr Randall, but it was later found that lay presiding panel member, Jed Purkis, had made anti-Christian comments online.
In addition to a re-trial, Judge Tayler has now ordered £20,000 costs against Trent College.
Lawyers for Dr Randall plan to present controversies surrounding Educate and Celebrate to the fresh trial as 'new evidence'.
Responding to the decision, Dr Randall said he was "relieved" by the re-trial but admitted that "the continuing long wait for justice is painful and holding back my life".
"I would not be where I am now if E&C had not been invited into Trent College, it is as simple as that," he said.
"As an ordained CofE minister working as a chaplain in a school with a CofE ethos, it was my duty to encourage debate and help children who were confused by the LGBT+ teaching to know that there are alternative views and beliefs on these contentious issues."
He added, “The injustice of how I have been treated because I opposed the introduction of this agenda in a school should by now be obvious to all."
Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr Randall in his case, said, "We welcome the decision to overturn the original ruling and the recognition of serious concerns regarding anti-Christian bias. This case has significant implications for freedom of speech and religious belief in schools.“If Bernard is not vindicated, it sends a troubling message that teachers, chaplains, and parents who uphold Christian teaching or question radical ideological agendas will come under intense scrutiny and may face losing their jobs.
"This is why we remain committed to seeing justice done and will continue to support Bernard until that is achieved.”
