Court Rules Against Revd Randall
Upholds His Firing For Holding to the Doctrines of the Church of England
Judge Victoria Butler of the East Midlands Employment Tribunal ruled against the Revd Dr Bernard Randall in his appeal of his dismissal from the role of chaplain to Trent College in Nottingham in the Diocese of Derby. Randall was dismissed because he delivered a sermon in 2019 that said children could make up their own minds. He also presented the Church of England’s positions from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.
The court found that the Diocesan Safeguarding Team had acted appropriately in labelling “the Church itself is a risk-factor.” Dr Randall was reported to Prevent. Prevent is a terrorist watchdog group. He has also had his licence to officiate removed by the Diocesan Bishop.
The sermon that started the trouble came as Randall was asked to address Trent College’s support of the Educate & Celebrate (E & C) organisation. Dr Elly Barnes of E & C had taught the staff to “smash heteronormativity”.
Judge Butler ruled that Randall had ‘misconceived’ what E&C is and that he had ‘an extreme reaction’ to their involvement within the school. She said: ‘We saw and heard no evidence that came anywhere close to supporting the claimant’s view that E&C would indoctrinate pupils in such a way.’ She added the decision to refer Dr Randall to the terror watchdog was justified ‘from a safeguarding perspective’.
Randall says he will appeal the Employment Tribunal ruling.
He told the Mail on Sunday:
“This is also a personal blow. We will appeal, so it takes up yet more of my life. But it is only one battle in the war to preserve free speech and the liberal values which built our country.
“There is a greater cause here, and I will carry on fighting as long as I am able. It is hard work being on the front line of the culture war, and it is costly. But we must not give up because of one setback.
“I want our generation’s children and children’s children to grow up in a society where truth can be maintained over the ugly divisiveness of identity politics.”
The Revd Randall is being supported legally in his appeal through the Christian Legal Centre.
