Final tribunal hearing set for teacher in England dismissed after sharing pro-life views

A final tribunal hearing has been set for Feb. 2–4, 2028, for a Christian teacher in England challenging her dismissal over her expression of pro-life and political views in response to students’ questions.

Anita Meston, 63, who had primarily taught French, will have her case heard at Newcastle Civil & Family Courts and Tribunals Centre, according to an Oct. 16 press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which is supporting her case.

Meston is suing Biddick Academy in Sunderland for discrimination after the school dismissed her in March 2025, as Zeale News previously reported.

“Nobody should face dismissal for honestly answering a question about what they believe,” Meston said in the release. “I was unjustly punished by Biddick Academy for expressing Christian pro-life beliefs and other widely-held political views.”

Students asked Meston about her views during a March 2025 history lesson. Asked whether she was "pro-abortion," Meston answered that she was "pro-life,” citing her Christian faith and women she knew who regretted their abortions. During the same lesson, she also answered a student's question about the Israel-Palestine conflict, as Zeale News reported.

ADF International said Meston also briefly responded to students’ questions about Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, and Reform UK in earlier lessons before redirecting them.

The organization said that the day after the March history lesson, the headteacher informed Meston that a complaint had been received and that her contract would be terminated.

Meston had taught for 28 years, and her contract had been renewed a week before her dismissal, according to ADF International.

As Zeale News previously reported, school records obtained by The Telegraph cited Meston’s “sharing personal opinions on political issues with pupils” as grounds for dismissal. The outlet also reported that the school had raised concerns about her conduct on four occasions and provided additional training in those instances.

The North East Learning Trust, which oversees Biddick Academy, addressed its staff policies in a statement to The Telegraph, as Zeale News previously reported.

“While we are not able to comment on this individual case, we have a clear staff code of conduct, which is consistently applied to protect the safety and wellbeing of our children at all times,” a trust spokesperson told the outlet.

A petition supporting Meston, addressed to the trust’s members and trustees, had received more than 21,000 signatures in five days, according to ADF International’s press release.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, ADF International’s legal counsel in London, criticized the school’s handling of Meston’s case.

“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,” he said in the release.

The organization argues that the Equality Act, which was enacted in 2010, protects Meston’s Christian pro-life convictions under its provisions against discrimination based on religion or belief.

“It is my hope,” Meston said, “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.”