Christian scholar sues Bible college after being fired over social media post on homosexuality
A Christian theologian has filed a lawsuit against a Methodist Bible university claiming the school discriminated against him after he was fired over a social media post on homosexuality.
Dr. Aaron Edwards taught theology at Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, for seven years before his dismissal in March. He was accused of "bringing the college into disrepute" with posts on X, condemning the growing acceptance of homosexuality within the church.
"Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they’re busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true. This is a 'Gospel issue', by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour," the theologian wrote on February 19.
Edwards told Fox News Digital this post and others defending it caused blowback from LGBTQ activists, prompting his employer, Cliff College, to release a statement calling his post "unacceptable" and "inappropriate."
Edwards refused to take down the post from his personal account, arguing it was not "defamatory" or "abusive" to any individuals, which would go against the college's social media policy.
However, his social media posts angered LGBT activists and reportedly caused "distress" among members of the Methodist Church in Britain, leading to an investigation, suspension and his subsequent dismissal.
In its investigative report, the school reportedly told Edwards they were considering referring him to Prevent, the U.K. government's counter-terrorism and hate speech unit. Cliff College principal, Rev. Ashley Cooper, later denied they had threatened to report the lecturer.
The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Edwards' legal case against the school, claimed that minutes during the disciplinary hearing and investigation showed the college used "intimidation tactics" to "interrogate" Edwards on his treatment of LGBTQ students.
Edwards was reportedly asked during the hearing what he would do if he were asked to pray with a student about their same-sex attraction, which he believes was an attempt to trap him into affirming "conversion therapy," which the U.K. Parliament has debated criminalizing.
Since his firing, Edwards says he has regularly met with Christians who have been "canceled" by their employer or community for speaking out on abortion, sexuality or religion in general. But he believes many Christians silence themselves too, over fear of causing offense.
"I think many Christians have not been willing to say things that will offend people," he told Fox News Digital. "The British people especially find it hard to offend people in ways that other cultures don't because they're more willing to say, 'This is what I believe, and you need to kind of get over it. And I'm free to say that.' I think in Britain for many years, we've tolerated a kind of self-silencing," he said.
The theologian predicted more people are going to face the same troubles he's faced, as he sees progressive ideology "invading" society and the church.
At the same time, Edwards said he is encouraged by people fighting back against this trend. He hopes his own lawsuit will help raise awareness about the threats to free speech in the U.K., and set a legal precedent so that other Christians will be emboldened to speak freely on issues where their values clash with the culture's.
The Christian Legal Centre said Edwards is basing his lawsuit on the grounds of alleged harassment, discrimination and unfair dismissal. He will be seeking damages for unfair dismissal and compensation under the Equality Act.
"Whether we win or not… it's going to be helpful because we're showing that you can't get away with this, and you shouldn't get away with it. And if I don't win my case, hopefully someone else will or people will realize that this is completely absurd, that an evangelical can't express evangelical views in an evangelical college," he told Fox News Digital.
"Hopefully this will set a precedent and push on the conversation further so that others will be enabled the freedoms that they should have had already," he added.
Cliff College principal, Rev. Ashley Cooper, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Edwards' case highlights a growing rift among Methodists globally over the issue of same-sex marriage.
His lawsuit comes as free speech advocates warn about freedoms under threat as Ireland's government considers a sweeping anti-hate speech law.
Fox News' Jon Brown contributed to this report.