Higgs v Farmor's School
Higgs v Farmor's School
Application for recusal - granted on 5 July 2022
Kristie Higgs is a teacher who went to the Employment Tribunal after losing her job as a teacher at Farmor’s School. She alleged that she was discriminated against by Farmor’s School due to the Christian beliefs she expressed on social media such as opposition to sex education in primary schools and transgender ideology. An article with further detail on the case by Chrisian Concern can be found here.
Her claim was not upheld by the Employment Tribunal. You can read the judgement here. Kristie Higgs is appealing this decision at the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
A preliminary hearing was held on 22 June 2022 in relation to an application for the recusal of a lay member of the Employment Appeal Tribunal, Edward Lord, on grounds of apparent bias. Edward Lord has expressed strong views on people with gender critical views, whom Lord calls transphobes.
The Honourable Mrs Justice Eady DBE, President of the relevant Employment Appeal Tribunal, heard the application sitting alone. She granted the request for recusal of Edward Lord as follows:
56. For the reasons I have given, I am satisfied that if the lay member were to sit on the Employment Appeal Tribunal panel on this appeal, the fair-minded and informed observer could not exclude the possibility of bias. That being so, the claimant’s application is allowed and the lay member will be recused from this hearing and another member from the relevant panel will take their place. This matter will now be re-listed for the first available date.
The full judgement for recusal is here.