Cases

Student Removed from Course to be a social worker for Facebook conversation

12th March 2019

On 12-13th March 2019, Paul Diamond represented Mr. Felix Ngole in the Court of Appeal. Judgement is awaited.

Mr. Ngole was removed from his professional course to be a Social Worker because of a Facebook post that expressed his orthodox Christian views on sexual ethics and homosexuality. He expressed such views as a private person without reference to his position as a student or social worker. The University of Sheffield held that such (unacceptable) ethics meant that he was unsuitable to be a Social Worker.

This is a complex and important case on the issues of: free speech, freedom of religious speech and the regulation of free speech by professional bodies.