UK tribunal rules against Catholic teacher fired for expressing opinions
An employment tribunal has ruled against a Catholic teacher who sued an Anglican secondary school in Wales that had fired him for expressing his views on abortion, same-sex marriage and Shariah law.
In an Employment Tribunal decision released Monday, it was decided that The Bishop of Llandaff Church In Wales High School of Cardiff could lawfully fire Ben Dybowski.
“The claimant has a right to hold his beliefs and to manifest them but he is under the same prohibitions as the rest of society to not discriminate or harass others,” the tribunal ruled regarding Dybowski sharing his opinions online or with staff and students.
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“The first respondent [The Bishop of Llandaff Church In Wales school] was entitled to want to exercise a degree of control over how beliefs were manifested within the school environment in accordance with the school’s values given the potential power imbalance between teachers and pupils and in the context of potentially vulnerable pupils.”
For his part, Dybowski explained that he was informed of the ruling back in December, and took to his X account last month to vow that he will appeal the tribunal's decision.
“Just before Christmas I got the Employment Tribunal judgement in my case. I lost. I will appeal,” he tweeted. “Because what could I say to my grandchildren if they asked me one day: How could you and your generation leave us a country in such a state - and we CAN'T EVEN talk about it?”
In May 2023, the high school fired Dybowski after he shared his opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion and Shariah law on campus, as well as on his social media.
Dybowski had run afoul of the Education Workforce Council regulations that the school adhered to, reported Sky News, which deemed his conversations potentially harmful to students.
Dybowski acknowledged that his expressed opinions could be considered "controversial," but also said that he was told his views were given at a "safe space" for ideas, Sky News added.
News of the tribunal decision against Dybowski comes shortly after United States Vice President J.D. Vance denounced European restrictions on free speech at a conference in Munich, Germany.
“I can tell you plainly: There can be no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions, and the conscience that guide your own people,” said Vance. “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values."
