Six years on from being fired for adopting a ‘gender critical’ stance at work, a school chaplain has hit back at his former employer over the disciplinary measures he faced after delivering a sermon.
During a sermon in 2019, Dr Randall advised pupils that there was no obligation to agree with official teaching on LGBT issues, including ‘identity politics.’ Employer Trent College in Derbyshire sacked him, but not before referring him to the Government’s calamitous Prevent counter-terrorism programme—the same one that missed Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana.
After the referral, Prevent ‘acquitted’ Randall, sparing him from further investigation. He was later reinstated by a Trent College internal panel, in time for redundancy in 2020 and no further work with his, or any other Church since. It turns out that the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Rev Libby Lane, had unproven ‘safeguarding’ concerns about Randall posing a risk of harm to children, presumably based on the sermon in 2019.
According to Randall,
This has been six years of silence, shame and spiritual exile. I have been punished not for wrongdoing, but for believing …. I am speaking out because I know I am not alone and because no one should suffer in silence for staying true to their faith.
Last month, Christians in Derbyshire experienced yet more official LGBT overreach, which prompted a bookshop in Matlock to push back against the imposition of ‘Progress Pride’ flags on the high street.
