Teacher sacked for raising a safeguarding concern needs gardening

[nothingcomestonothing]

Kevin Lister, who was sacked as a teacher and disbarred by DBS for raising a safeguarding concern about a student and about a TRA teacher boasting about how many kids they'd helped trans, has a court case coming up this month. He has just posted an update that:

Dr. Anna Loutfi, of the Bad Law Project, has issued a pre-action letter against the Department of Education for their willful breach of Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996, and the subquent breaches of the Children Act 1989.

I am the main claiment, along one other annonymous parent (Mr. and Mrs. X) whose child was tragically persuaded that he was of the wrong sex by his school.

I don't know him and don't know any more about his case than what is in the public domain, but he seemed to have been heinously mistreated.

https://tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/kevin-lister-v-new-college-swindon

I think I remember this one. Are they actually crowdfunding at the moment?

Yes they are, I had an email update today. There is quite a way to go before the target is reached, and the employment tribunal is due to start on 15th March.

Google "kevin lister teacher crowdfunding"

Not the point but I hope he isn't an English teacher.

He's maths!

I can language pedant with the best of them, but cut the guy some slack - he was sacked for calling a student in a girls-only maths competition a girl!

Thank you for drawing our attention to this, will have a look. Absolutely 🤬 outrageous to sack someone who’s trying to keep young people safe.

Why is it a go find me? Not cloud justice or whatever the other one is.

I know! The spelling 😩

The most dangerous thing about this case is his referral to the DBS.
I wish teachers could avoid making it about an individual child (suspect I'm an outlier about this) BUT the referral to the DBS arguing that this makes him a risk to children is outrageous.
We know that the DBS have been trans captured with their get out clause for anyone changing name that potentially allows predators to escape the same scrutiny that all other adults receive. The fact that they've twisted a dismissal (presumably for refusing to follow schools policy / instructions) into a safeguarding issue is yet another attempt for state sanctioned coercive control. Socially affirm each child or you'll be barred from working with children.

That's the danger of all this - that the flawed organisation meant to safeguard children is being used in order to suppress legitimate child safeguarding concerns.

Not the time for spell checking a maths teacher imo. Let's stick to giving him some support for speaking up. He's lost his job for expressing safeguarding concerns. That's the issue here.

Thanks OP. I've donated.

No teacher should be treated so shabbily for caring about children.

Am I right in thinking that he's representing himself in the ET?

He writes:

"I am litigating in person, to keep costs down, but there are still costs incurred associated with obtaining advice, logistics, etc.

I want to litigate in person to demonstrate to other teachers that the justice system is open to them."

I suppose if he is representing himself then that's why it's a go fund me not crowdjustice.

He's been through hell and it is an absolute travesty what's happened, especially with DBS, but I can't help but feel that having proper legal representation (of the Ben Cooper or Naomi Cunningham or Akua Reindorf variety) at the ET might be better than going it alone. He says on that page it's because he wants other teachers to feel justice is within reach - but it's just not, for lots of people, regardless of whether you're alone in the courtroom at the ET, it's all the stuff around it that is punitive. What would be better would be to have an expert win the case and schools and DBS have to pay attention to the judgement. In my opinion.

I will donate because I want to support this brave and principled man but I really wish he had proper legal support.

It seems the pre-action letter to the DfE is a separate thing, where he has support from the Bad Law Project? Which seems very important and needs to happen. It's a shame the two are not separated out. I'd happily donate to both but there is a lack of clarity about what is happening and I think that puts people off donating.

Not a criticism of Mr Lister, who has been through hell for not agreeing with a nonsensical political position and acting like a teacher and SAFEGUARDING children (ffs), just I get the sense with the fact these two issues are a little confusing on the go fund me page that he does not have lots of support, and I think he'll need it.

I hope Sex Matters are aware and are supporting.

The worst thing about this is essentially he was barred for raising safeguarding concerns - which is the exact opposite of what safeguarding and DBS is supposed to be about.

You're SUPPOSED to be able to raise safeguarding concerns without any negative consequences even if you're wrong. Otherwise, everyone is too scared to raise safeguarding concerns - and this will be the consequence of his being barred by DBS.

Ironically - it will be gender questioning children who will suffer and who will be less well safeguarded than all other children because teachers will be scared they'll lose their jobs if they raise concerns, as Mr Lister has.

I also wish the go fund me page had the same title as this thread and didn't use the word 'transgender' at all.

It's what happened. He lost his job for raising safeguarding concerns.

It doesn't matter if he was right or wrong. He should not have lost his job and been barred from DBS for this.

Regardless of whether you agree with gender ideology or not, this is a horrendous breach of safeguarding and suggests DBS is completely unfit for purpose and staffed by political activists. Who don't care about children.

Because as I've just said, what has happened will have the most negative impact on gender questioning children by making teachers, TAs and all adults who come into contact with them scared to raise a safeguarding concern.

This case actually shows quite clearly that the activists pushing this don't care about 'trans' children. At all.

It looks a hugely important case, if DBS barred him for raising a safeguarding concern about the impact of gender ideology in a school. We all have to be able to raise safeguarding concerns, about anything, without fearing for our livelihood.

I agree it'd be better if he were represented and the crowdfunder was a crowd justice or similar as people feel more confident donating to that form of fundraising site. Though I can imagine that instructing legal representation is daunting in terms of the huge potential costs involved.

Thanks OP. I wasn't aware of this and I'm glad I've had the chance to support him.

I have planted some bulbs. I hope they flower.

that is awful and frighting . Sacked for raising safeguarding concerns is very worrying. I hope he wins. Will send some compost!

I hope he wins but when I've read articles and watched interviews, I just can't help feeling that he was aiming to be a 'martyr to the cause' from the start.

It is a muddle I agree, but I donated nonetheless.

How incredibly isolating it must be, to suddenly find yourself sacked, debarred from the vocation you love, and an outcast. Then, trying to work through what seems to be a legal minefield without a union to support you or sufficient funds for good representation. It takes such a toll on you and those who care about you.

He strikes me as a decent and caring teacher. We need to support teachers like this. At least a donation tells him that he is thought of, and respected for what he tried to do.

I have not read the full thread.

I have just read that “he was later referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which informed him that he would be <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/PYE9f/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/16/trans-guidance-schools-not-punish-teachers-pronouns/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">banned from working with children on Dec 19”.
(see Telegraph archive 23 Dec 2023
in Tribunal Tweets posted by
duc748 · Yesterday 15:56)

I find the actions of the DBS outrageous.

He was protecting the pupil, not harming her.

Barring him from working with children is almost like giving out a hint that he must be like paedophile or murderer.

Lots of digging needs doing.

The DBS said he would be banned from teaching children.

Noone will touch it because ultimately females don't matter