Dismissing a Catholic teacher who expressed views critical of Sharia law during a diversity training day was lawful, a tribunal has ruled.
Ben Dybowski was dismissed from his post at The Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School, following the training day in March 2023.
During the event, Dybowski criticised Sharia law and said that he was in favour of traditional marriage and against abortion, arguing that life begins at conception.
Dybowski asked if his views were considered discriminatory and was told by the diversity trainer that expressing such views could indeed by regarded as discriminatory, although he was free to hold them privately.
Following the event and complaints from other members of staff, Dybowski was called into a meeting with the headteacher. During the meeting Dybowski confirmed that he also shared his views on social media and was warned that such posts could contravene the Anglican school’s social media guidelines and risk harming members of the school community.
The tribunal heard that Dybowski often discussed his views with staff and students at the school.
In the end the tribunal concluded that while Dybowski’s views on marriage and abortion were protected by equality legislation, speaking badly of Sharia was his opinion and therefore not protected, meaning the school was entitled to dismiss him.
Judge Samantha Moore, presiding over the case, said, “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 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.”
