UK teacher sues school after being fired for telling student she is ‘pro-life’

A Christian teacher in England is taking legal action after being dismissed for expressing her pro-life and political views in response to students’ questions.

Anita Meston, 63, is pursuing a discrimination claim against Biddick Academy in Sunderland, according to an Oct. 12 press release from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which is supporting her discrimination claim.

“I am profoundly shocked by Biddick Academy’s decision to dismiss me for my faith-based pro-life beliefs and other mainstream personal and political views,” Meston said in the release. “I do not believe it is a teacher’s role to impose beliefs unrelated to the lesson in the classroom. I merely acknowledged my students’ questions and provided truthful answers before redirecting them back to the lesson at hand.”

The dispute stems in part from a March 2025 history lesson in which Meston was teaching about the Allied bombing of Dresden during World War II.

During a discussion about the moral questions surrounding military conflict, students asked Meston about her views on the Israel-Palestine conflict and abortion. According to the release, when one student asked whether she was “pro-abortion,” Meston responded that she was “pro-life.”

Asked to explain her pro-life position, Meston said her beliefs stemmed from her Christian faith and her knowledge of women who regretted having abortions. According to the release, when another student said she knew women who did not regret their abortions, Meston responded, “fair enough.”

The release also cited earlier exchanges in which students asked Meston about President Donald Trump and British politician Nigel Farage, whom she described as “popular politicians,” as well as a separate occasion when she confirmed plans to attend a Reform UK party conference when asked by a student.

The day after the March history lesson, Meston was called to a meeting with the school’s headteacher and informed that a complaint had been made about the lesson, according to ADF International.

The headteacher told Meston that she could not express personal views in the classroom and that her contract would be terminated, the release said.

Meston, who has 28 years of teaching experience, had worked at the academy for six months where she primarily taught French. Her contract had been renewed the week before her dismissal.

School records obtained by The Telegraph cited Meston’s “sharing personal opinions on political issues with pupils” as the reason for her dismissal. The outlet reported that the school had previously raised concerns on four occasions about her conduct breaching “national guidance” and had provided her additional training.

The headteacher also expressed a “real concern” that Meston would continue to “cause harm or distress to pupils,” according to the outlet. 

The North East Learning Trust, which oversees Biddick Academy, declined to comment on Meston’s case, The Telegraph 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.

ADF International cited in the release the United Kingdom’s Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics, including religion or belief. The organization maintains that pro-life beliefs fall under those protections.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, ADF International’s legal counsel in London, warned of the broader implications for freedom of expression in schools.

“The purpose of education is to form young people who can engage with the world around them, and this inevitably includes encountering people with different perspectives,” Igunnubole said in the release. “If teachers are dismissed solely for views that students or staff disagree with, the next generation will learn that it is acceptable to censor opinions they dislike.” 

The case comes amid broader concerns raised by ADF International about what it described as the “deterioration of free speech in the UK.” The organization cited other cases of alleged discrimination, including the suspension of a Scottish midwifery student in 2024 over pro-life comments made in a private Facebook group.

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Meston said she hopes her legal challenge will prevent other teachers from facing similar consequences for expressing their beliefs.

“In a free and just society, teachers should not be fired for honestly expressing their deeply-held beliefs in response to questions in the classroom,” she remarked. “What happened to me is nothing short of censorship, and this precedent cannot be allowed to stand.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16 at an employment tribunal.