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Pastor Accused of 'Homophobia' Wins Case Before London Tribunal

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To many Americans, the discussion about homosexuality between Rev. George Hargreaves and a co-worker at a homeless shelter was just that - two people calmly expressing their views to each other as they worked.  But according to Pastor Hargreaves, an Oxford-educated minister in Great Britain, that conversation led to his colleague repeatedly shunning him at work.  As a result, Hargreaves claimed her actions created a "hostile" work environment and filed a formal complaint with the employment tribunal against his 20-something colleague, Elizabeth Akano, who accused him of homophobia.

According to the UK Telegraph, on that day in January 2019, the two co-workers were discussing Biblical teachings when Akano made the statement that "people are born gay." To that Pastor Hargreaves replied, "pedophiles make the same argument." Hargreaves went on to say that "even if people are born with a condition, that does not put it beyond God's ability to change or heal it."  

The UK Daily Mail reports that Akano began to ignore Hargreaves after their discussion and told him she did not "respect" him. Hargreaves then filed the complaint, claiming her repeated behavior created a "humiliating environment."

During the grievance process, Hargreaves defended his remarks stating that by saying the words 'homosexual' and 'pedophile' in the same sentence, he was not alleging or suggesting that homosexuals are pedophiles. Nor did he consider that the comment would be offensive or rude. 

He went on to argue, "It is reasonable for me to say, in response to Liz and anyone who says that 'people are born gay,' that pedophiles would also say that they were born that way.  This is my standard response to the argument about people being born as homosexual. It is not illegal to put the two words in the same sentence."

The appeals tribunal agreed. According to the Telegraph, Judge Andrew James ruled in the minister's favor, concluding he was harassed and discriminated against on grounds of his religious beliefs when he was ignored by Akano and inappropriately questioned about the incident by his area manager. 

The judge concluded that Akano also acted out of her religious beliefs, saying, "She was clearly upset by the claimant's comment which appeared to make a link between pedophiles and the gay community." However, he said, "The claimant is correct to say that it is not illegal to use those words together, in the sense that it is not a criminal offense." He went on to say, though, that some people might find his remarks offensive.

The judge also ruled that Rev. Hargreaves had been racially discriminated against when Akano, who is also black, told him "you are one of those black men who like white women."  Hargreaves' Jamaican-born wife and co-pastor of their Pentecostal church was the founder of the East London Christian Choir and died in 2011 of a brain tumor.

Any compensation from the case will be decided at a later date at a remedy hearing.

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About The Author

Deborah
Bunting

Deborah Bunting is a contributing writer for CBNNews.com who has spent decades in the field of journalism, covering everything from politics to the role of the church in our world.