It’s taken former Church of England school chaplain Bernard Randall seven years to settle his legal dispute over a private school sermon in which he encouraged pupils to question gender identity teaching.
He has secured a legal settlement with Trent College and succeeded in overturning the Church of England’s safeguarding blacklisting of him.
“Bernard Randall has endured one of the most extraordinary and disturbing cases we have ever supported,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which represented Dr Randall throughout his legal ordeal.
“It has always been and still is, a huge scandal.”
“Secular bodies repeatedly vindicated him, but the Church of England, the institution that should have supported him the most, repeatedly failed him.”
“THIS CASE EXPOSES HOW EASILY SAFEGUARDING POLICIES CAN BE MISUSED TO SILENCE CHRISTIANS”
“Bernard now deserves a future in the Church he has served so faithfully,” continued Ms. Williams.
“Few clergy are better placed to understand the urgent need for reform, both in how the Church of England upholds and applies its own teaching in schools and places of worship, and in how its safeguarding processes are used and must not be abused.”
“The settlement with Trent College is also a significant moment and an admission that Bernard was deeply wronged, revealing how a school can so badly lose its way once it bows the knee to transgender ideology.”
“Bernard’s case exposes how easily safeguarding process, equality policies and extreme transgender ideology can be misused to silence Christian beliefs.”
WHAT THE CHAPLAIN SAID THAT ANGERED CHURCH LEADERS
The long-running saga began in 2019 when Reverend Randall preached a sermon in the chapel of Trent College in response to a student’s question about why they were being told they “have to accept” LGBT and transgender-identity teaching in a Christian school.
This is what he said:
Now when ideologies compete, we should not descend into abuse, we should respect the beliefs of others, even where we disagree.
Above all, we need to treat each other with respect, not personal attacks – that’s what loving your neighbour as yourself means.
By all means discuss, have a reasoned debate about beliefs, but while it’s OK to try and persuade each other, no one should be told they must accept an ideology.
Love the person, even where you profoundly dislike the ideas.
Don’t denigrate a person simply for having opinions and beliefs which you don’t share.
SECULAR INVESTIGATIONS FIND CHAPLAIN POSES NO RISK, CHURCH DISAGREES
For that sermon, the college suspended Reverend Randall and later informed him he was being dismissed for gross misconduct.
He was referred to the government’s terrorism prevention scheme, as well as the local authority designated officer on safeguarding (LADO), the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) which all concluded he had no case to answer and posed no threat to students.
Dr. Randall successfully appealed his dismissal and it was overturned, meaning he could return to work, but he still received a final warning.
He was eventually made redundant after refusing to accept a demeaning reduction of the chaplaincy role to just seven hours a week during term time only.
The Church of England still deemed him “a safeguarding risk to children,” despite his sermon being in line with the denomination’s official doctrine.
NO APOLOGY FROM CHURCH DESPITE VINDICATION OF VICAR
An independent Church safeguarding review has now concluded there are no ongoing safeguarding concerns relating to Reverend Randall.
Advocacy group Christian Concern wrote: “There has been no apology for the remarkable fact that the Church took nearly seven years to reach its conclusion, in sharp contrast to the secular LADO, who took just one day to determine that it was not a safeguarding matter.”
“The Church of England’s bishops declared in 2021 that Dr. Randall’s sermon contained “nothing … outside the doctrine and teaching of the Church of England”, making the contrast in treatment even more extraordinary.
“Schools, churches and public bodies must learn from this case and protect, rather than punish, lawful Christian expression.”
“We call on the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, urgently to meet with Bernard.”
CHURCH OF ENGLAND COLLEGE FINALLY AGREES TO SETTLE THE CASE
Dr. Randall’s employment case against the school had been set for a retrial after the courts accepted that the original judgment was “unsafe”, due to possible bias on the panel that made the ruling.
Trent College had been ordered to pay the vicar A$40,000 in costs.
Following that ruling, a confidential legal settlement was reached between the college and Dr. Randall.
CHAPLAIN’S REACTION TO HIS VINDICATION
Reverend Randall said: “Seven years have been taken from me for doing my duty as a school chaplain.”
“I encouraged pupils to think, to debate, and to love their neighbours whatever they believed.”
“No minister, teacher or chaplain should be punished for upholding Christian teaching in a Christian setting.”
“My case has revealed the extent of the corruption within the Church, our schools and in the judiciary, and should deeply concern us all.”
“THE WAY THE CHAPLAIN WAS TREATED BEGGARED BELIEF”
“It was the way the Church of England treated Dr. Randall that beggared belief,” wrote Christian Concern
“He was blacklisted by his church denomination over baseless safeguarding concerns.”
“He is now free to preach in church again and work in an education setting.”
“It remains to be seen whether the Church will actively help and support Dr. Randall back into full-time ministry.”
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