Christian teacher sues British school after being fired for answering student’s question about pro-life views 

A Christian teacher in England is suing her former school, accusing it of firing her because of her pro-life religious beliefs.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is representing Anita Meston, 63, who has taught for 28 years. She joined Biddick Academy in Washington, Sunderland, in 2024 as a full-time substitute teacher, but the school terminated her contract in March 2025, according to an ADF announcement. The school renewed her contract a week before terminating it, the organization said.

In her discrimination claim, Meston says she did not push her beliefs on students but answered their questions about her views before continuing the lesson.

“What happened to me is nothing short of censorship, and this precedent cannot be allowed to stand,” she said.

Meston usually taught French but was teaching history when the incident occurred. The class was studying the Allied bombing of Dresden during World War II.

She asked students whether the Israel-Palestine conflict raised similar moral concerns. When one student asked which side she supported, Meston said she supported Israel but expressed concern for innocent Palestinian civilians, ADF said.

A student then asked whether she was “pro-abortion.” Meston said she was “pro-life.”

The student asked her to explain her view. Meston said she was a Christian and knew women who regretted having abortions.

Another student said she knew women who did not regret having abortions. ADF said Meston responded, “Fair enough.”

The next day, the headteacher called Meston into her office for a meeting. Meston said abortion had come up only because students specifically asked her about it.

The headteacher told Meston she was not allowed to share her personal views in class and terminated her contract, ADF said.

The Telegraph reviewed school documents stating that Meston was dismissed for “sharing personal opinions on political issues with pupils.”

The headteacher reportedly expressed concern that Meston would “cause harm or distress to pupils.”

The Telegraph also reported that the school had raised concerns about Meston four times previously and provided her with additional training.

Students reportedly asked Meston about Donald Trump and British politician Nigel Farage during other lessons. She said she described them as popular politicians before returning to the lesson.

The North East Learning Trust, which runs Biddick Academy, has not publicly discussed the specifics of Meston’s case. It told reporters that the school applies its staff conduct rules consistently to protect children.

Britain’s Equality Act protects people from religious discrimination in the workplace. ADF argues that those protections cover Meston’s Christian beliefs about abortion.

Other Christian teachers have challenged their dismissals over religious beliefs.

Heartlander News previously reported that California teacher Jessica Tapia reached a $360,000 settlement in 2024 after her district fired her for opposing its pro-transgender policies.

“I essentially had to pick one,” Tapia told reporters. “Am I going to obey the district in the directives that are not lining up with… my own beliefs, convictions and faith? Or am I going to stay true…, choose my faith, choose to be obedient to… the way the Lord has called me to live? And so it was crazy to be in the position where I realized that I couldn’t be a Christian and a teacher.”

Tapia objected to the district’s policy of keeping students’ transgender identities secret from their parents. The district settled the case without admitting wrongdoing.

The U.S. Supreme Court in March of this year restored protections for parents challenging California’s gender secrecy policies.

The emergency action allowed the underlying legal case to continue but found the parents would likely prevail on their claims that the policies violated their right to raise their children, including their right to guide their religious upbringing.

(Image credit: Anita Metson/Alliance Defending Freedom)