A Christian mom in the UK is having her case heard after her son, then four years old, was forced by his school to partake in a gay pride parade against her will.
Mom Izzy Montague was told by the head teacher of Heavers Farm Primary School in Croydon, South London, that her son could not opt out of the pride event despite their family’s Christian beliefs.
Now, Montague alongside Christian Legal Center has launched legal action against the school for direct and indirect discrimination, victimization, and a breach of the Education Act 1996 and Human Rights Act 1998.
This is the first case in the UK where a court will consider the legality of imposing LGBT ideology on students in primary school. It will weigh the aspects of religious discrimination and the human right of parents to determine the moral instruction of their children by opting out of sex education programs.
The case is being heard from this week, Feb. 1-10.
LGBT-related organization Stonewall worked with the school to organize the event which occurred in June 2018, Christian Legal Center stated in a press release.
Children as young as four were read stories promoted by the organization aimed at normalizing same-sex relationships and shown videos of two men kissing. LGBT flags were displayed across the school; Stonewall posters were hung, and children were encouraged to wear rainbow colors.
Parents were given no warning ahead of the pride event, said Montague, who only learned about it from a newspaper article. After requesting her son be withdrawn from the parade, she was told that if he did, it would be regarded as a behavioral issue.
“I wasn’t even trying to stop the parade event,” Montague stated in a press release. “I just wanted my child to receive an education, rather than indoctrination.
“After I complained about my young child being forced to take part in an event that goes against our Christian beliefs, the school’s attitude towards me changed completely. Other parents were afraid to speak up because of how the school treated me.”
She said the school created a “hostile” and “intimidating” atmosphere toward parents who dissented against the agenda being forced on their children.
As an example, she noted that during a meeting between herself and the school administration to discuss her concerns, the head teacher’s daughter wore a shirt that said, “Why be racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic, when you can just be quiet?”
“It was like being bullied,” she said. “They stopped treating me like any other parent but were antagonistic towards me. I believe that they retaliated against me by unreasonably excluding me from the premises, victimizing my child, and not taking my safeguarding concerns seriously.”
Refusing to be silent, though, Montague withdrew her son from the school and took legal action.
“I am taking this stand to raise awareness amongst parents as to what is happening in our primary schools,” she said. “I do not want other parents to go through what I have in the months and years ahead.”
The mom’s case comes in the wake of concerns following the UK government’s Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) being fully implemented.
Those concerns are that RSE does not protect the rights of parents to opt their children out of lessons containing sexualized material not in line with their religious values. RSE does not define the term “age appropriate” and leaves the door open for “partisan” agencies to promulgate politicized teachings as fact in the classroom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQTpdOse-Zw&t=2s
Montague’s case is an example of “totalitolerance” that has become all too common in today’s society according to Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Legal Centre.
“Those who preach tolerance and diversity the loudest do not appear to be interested in practicing it,” she said.
“Education is always a partnership between the school and parents, but the school’s actions showed disrespect, dismissiveness and hostility towards these parents. A particular agenda is being forced onto children inside the school gates and parents are being given no means to ensure that their children are being taught in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs.”
