A lecturer is to sue over allegations he was referred to counter terrorism officials for his views on homosexuality.
Aaron Edwards is suing Cliff College in Derbyshire and is seeking damages for unfair dismissal and compensation.
The 37-year-old father of five has also alleged that college officials threatened to refer him to the government’s Prevent scheme.
The scheme is designed to crack down on radicalisation.
The case is expected to go to an employment tribunal next year.
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At the centre of the legal row is a post on Twitter/X from February, where he said that homosexuality was invading the church.
In the post, Edwards said: “Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this [because] they’re busy apologising for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true.”
He added: “This *is* a ‘Gospel issue’, by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.”
Edwards said that after posting the comment, Cliff College officials suspended him and launched an investigation.
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Edwards’s legal team said that he will argue that the college unlawfully interfered with his human rights
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According to The Christian Legal Centre, which is representing Edwards, the college has subsequently denied having made the Prevent threat.
However, the lawyers said that minutes of the internal disciplinary hearing revealed “the intimidation tactics used by college bosses”.
Edwards’s legal team said that he will argue that the college unlawfully interfered with his human rights.
Specifically, his legal provisions that protect the right to hold religious beliefs and freedom of expression.
In the legal claim, Edwards will seek damages for unfair dismissal and compensation under the Equality Act 2010.
The case is expected to go to an employment tribunal next year.
He argued that his social media comment “was not defamatory; it was not an attack on any colleague or individual; it was not abusive; and it was not an extremist religious view."
The college declined to comment on the legal action.
