THE High Court has upheld
a classroom ban on a Christian schoolteacher who condemned what he
called the "homosexual lifestyle" in front of pupils.
A judge rejected an
appeal by science teacher Robert Haye, from Lewisham, against his
indefinite ban, saying that he had shown lack of insight when
making the "inappropriate" comments.
Mr Haye told students
aged 15 and 16 at Deptford Green School that the way homosexual
people lived was "disgusting", and that the Bible said that it was
sinful.
He also told another
class that "anyone who worships on Sunday is basically worshipping
the devil".
Mr Haye, who is 43, and
his family belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which
observes Saturday as the sabbath.
Mr Haye is understood to
be having to pay the £4200 legal costs himself. Other cases of
Christians' alleging discrimination because of their faith have
been supported and funded by organisations such as the Christian
Legal Centre, which is linked to the campaigning organisation
Christian Concern and the Christian Institute. They were not
available to comment.
Now unemployed, Mr Haye
told The Guardian that he did not expect to be able to
find work as a teacher again, though he could apply to return to
the classroom after two years.
He said: "I will not recant my beliefs. God comes first."