Christian Teacher "Deeply Shocked" After Being Fired for Telling a Student He Is Pro-Life

Anita Mustone says she was fired from a UK school after telling a student she is pro-life, and her case is now heading to an employment tribunal.

Anita Maston is a high school teacher in England who teaches French and Humanities. (Freedom Defender Union)

A Christian teacher in Britain says she was fired after telling a student she was pro-life during a class discussion, and described losing her job for making what she says was simply an honest response to a student's question.

Maston said he initially asked students to compare the bombing of Dresden to the conflict between Israel and Gaza to encourage discussion in the classroom.

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A Christian teacher in Britain says she was fired after answering a student's question about her views on abortion. (iStock)

As the discussion progressed, a student asked if he supported abortion.

"And I said, 'No, I'm pro-life,'" Maston recalled. "And he said, 'Well, what does that mean?'

She explained that if she worked in a medical setting, her Christian beliefs would prevent her from participating in abortions, Maston said.

"And I said, 'I also know women who have had abortions and regretted them,'" Maston said. And he then responded by saying, "Well, I know women who've had abortions and haven't regretted them," and I said, "Well, that's fair enough."

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But Maston claims the exchange cost him his job.

Maston said the principal accused her of sharing personal opinions in class before informing her the school could no longer hire her.

"He said, 'Thank you very much for your service, but we can't keep you in school,'" Maston recalled.

The teacher said the experience left him feeling humiliated despite believing he had done nothing wrong.

"Well, that's a shock, isn't it?" Maston said. And then, I kind of feel humiliated. Even though I knew I didn't really do anything wrong, you still feel like, you know, you're going to get fired and you have to tell the other teachers why, and the first teacher I talked to actually said to me, "Well, a lot of us have the same opinions as you, but we're not afraid to say them."

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A spokesman for The North East Learning Trust said staff had a clear code of conduct to follow when asked about Maston's dismissal. (iStock)

"Well, teachers should teach children how to think, not what to think," says Igunobule.

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He argued that Maston had not tried to impose his views on the students, but had simply answered a question before returning to the lesson.

He was not looking for indoctrination. He did not seek to impose his ideas on his students, he simply answered a question."

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Maston's case is pending at Newcastle Employment Tribunal, where a preliminary hearing is scheduled to deal with the underlying arguments and set a timetable for future proceedings, Igunobule said.

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