Christian mother sues son's school for 'making him take part in LGBT parade'

A mother is suing her son's school after she claimed he was forced to take part in an LGBT event, despite the family's Christian beliefs.

Izzy Montague says she was told by the headteacher of Heavers Farm Primary School in Croydon, south London, that her son was not permitted to opt out of the school's Pride parade in June 2018.

Montague has decided to take legal action against the school on the grounds of direct and indirect discrimination, victimisation and breach of statutory duty under the Education Act 1996 and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Montague asserts that posters and flags advertising Pride month were put up around the school and that early years children were read stories that were "aimed at normalising same-sex relationships".

Montague claims that parents were not informed of the parade, and that she only found out about it after reading an article in a newspaper.

She says her request to remove her son from the activities on religious grounds was denied, claiming the school told her it would be seen as a "behavioural issue".

Montague said the school had breached the Equality Act 2010, saying the parade was unlawful "discrimination against children who follow their Christian or any other mainstream religion".

She claims the school created a "hostile" and "intimidating" atmosphere towards any parents who did not want their children taking part in any Pride month activities.

According to The Times, in the first day of the court hearing on Wednesday, Judge Christopher Lethem described Montague and her husband as “devout born-again Christians, and they bear a belief that sexual relations should be abstained from or take place within a life-long marriage between a man and a woman and any activity outside those confines is sinful”.

He said: “They also say Pride is considered to be the most serious of the deadly sins.”

Ahead of the start of the hearing at Central London County Court, Montague said: “I wasn’t even trying to stop the Pride event. I just wanted my child to receive an education, rather than indoctrination.

“After I complained about my young child being forced to take part in an event that goes against our Christian beliefs, the school’s attitude towards me changed completely. Other parents were afraid to speak up because of how the school treated me."

She added: “I am taking this stand to raise awareness amongst parents as to what is happening in our primary schools. I do not want other parents to go through what I have in the months and years ahead.”

The hearing continues.