Tribunal dates set for Christian teacher suing school for discrimination, after she was dismissed for expressing pro-life beliefs in response to student’s question
- Employment tribunal hearing dates have been fixed for 2-4 February 2028
- Anita Meston was dismissed from Biddick Academy in Sunderland after saying she was pro-life in honest response to a student’s question
- Meston is suing Biddick Academy for discrimination with the support of Alliance Defending Freedom
SUNDERLAND (16 OCTOBER 2026) – Dates have been fixed for the final employment tribunal hearing in the case of a Christian teacher who was dismissed for expressing pro-life beliefs when honestly answering a question from a student during a lesson.
The hearing is scheduled for 2-4 February 2028 at the Newcastle Civil & Family Courts and Tribunals Centre. Anita Meston, 63, is taking legal action against Biddick Academy, a state school in Washington, Sunderland, which dismissed her after she said that she was pro-life in response to a question.
She is suing the school for discrimination with the support of Christian legal advocacy organisation Alliance Defending Freedom, which defends free speech and other fundamental freedoms.
While teaching a history lesson in March 2025, Meston was asked by a student if she was “pro-abortion”, to which she responded that she was “pro-life”. She was also asked if she was “pro-Israel”, to which she responded that she was. She responded briefly to both questions before directing students back to the lesson topic.
In different lessons on previous occasions, students also questioned Meston about Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Reform UK, to which she always responded briefly before directing students back to the lesson.
On the day following the history lesson in March 2025, Meston was summoned to a meeting with the school’s headteacher, who informed her that a complaint had been made about the lesson and asked what had happened.
At the end of the meeting, the headteacher informed Meston that she was not allowed to give her personal views in the classroom – despite the fact that she had only answered the questions briefly and honestly – and that her contract would be terminated.
A petition in support of Meston, directed to the members and trustees of the North East Learning Trust, which oversees Biddick Academy, has gained over 21,000 signatures in just five days.
“Nobody should face dismissal for honestly answering a question about what they believe. I was unjustly punished by Biddick Academy for expressing Christian pro-life beliefs and other widely-held political views. I always did this briefly and in response to questions, before directing students back to the lesson. I never proactively brought up these views.
“Biddick Academy’s censorial behaviour must not be allowed to stand, which is why I am suing the school for discrimination with the support of Alliance Defending Freedom. I am doing this not only for myself, but also so that the fundamental freedoms of speech, religion and belief are protected for Christians in schools across the country.
“As a teacher with over two decades of experience, I have seen the decline of open debate in our classrooms first-hand, and I lament that both staff and students increasingly feel the need to self-censor their opinions and deeply-held beliefs for fear of what could happen if they speak freely. This is especially the case when those views do not align with the progressive worldview that prevails in UK institutions, including many schools.
“Our young people deserve engaged, honest teachers and a learning environment that values free speech, preparing students for the range of viewpoints they’ll encounter in society at large. It is my hope that the tribunal will recognise that my dismissal was a case of discrimination and censorship, and affirm that these have no place in our workplaces and schools.”
— Anita Meston
Jeremiah Igunnubole, barrister and Legal Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom in London, said:
“As the UK’s free speech crisis worsens, it is concerning to see the climate of censorship entering into our schools. The dismissal of an experienced member of staff for honestly responding to a student’s question with the ‘wrong’ views has no place in the education system of a free and democratic country.
“All UK employees are protected from discrimination under the law. Nevertheless, it is clear that Anita was dismissed because others disagreed with her views, including her deeply-held Christian beliefs that are protected by the Equality Act. Even in the case of schools, the Department of Education’s own guidance does not prohibit staff from expressing their personal views.
“The actions of Biddick Academy both discriminate against Anita’s legally protected beliefs and are contrary to fostering a positive educational environment that values free speech. Alliance Defending Freedom will support Anita at the upcoming Employment Tribunal to ensure that this censorial precedent is not allowed to stand – for Anita, for all Christians and for anyone who believes educational institutions should value the right to freedom of religion, belief and expression.”
Background
Meston, who has been teaching for 28 years, joined Biddick Academy in October 2024, primarily teaching French in the Modern Languages department and occasionally covering other subjects as needed.
She was also serving as a form tutor to a class of Year 10 students. Her contract had been renewed the week before her dismissal.
During her time at Biddick Academy, a group of students repeatedly asked Meston for her views on Nigel Farage and Donald Trump during her lessons, to which she responded briefly that they were both popular politicians before returning to the subject of the lesson.
One pupil also asked Meston if she would be attending a Reform UK party conference in February 2025, after Meston had encountered a student at a Reform UK event on a previous occasion. Meston said she would be attending.
Meston did not force her views on students at any point.
In March 2025, Meston had been asked to cover a Year 8 history lesson discussing the proportionality of the 1945 bombing of Dresden. In an attempt to engage the class, Meston asked whether similar moral issues surrounded the current Israel-Palestine conflict, at which point one student affirmed that he was “pro-Israel” and asked whether Meston was too. She responded that she was, but lamented that innocent people in Gaza were caught in the conflict. Later in the lesson, a different student asked if she was “pro-abortion”, to which she responded that she was “pro-life”.
When asked to elaborate on her pro-life position, Meston explained that she held this view because she is a Christian and that she knew women who had had abortions and regretted the decision. A student replied that she knew women who had had abortions and not regretted them, to which Meston responded, “fair enough”.
In her meeting with the headteacher, Meston noted that she only shared her personal views in response to direct questions from students; namely, about her stance on abortion, and the question about her views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Shortly before dismissing her, the headteacher asked if Meston had mentioned Donald Trump during the same lesson, to which she responded in the negative.
The UK Equality Act prohibits discrimination against another on account of a “protected characteristic”, which includes “religion or belief”. Pro-life beliefs fall under this category as they constitute Christians’ deeply-held convictions on the nature and value of human life.
Read more about the case here.
You can donate to support ADF’s work here.
