Latest news with #two-tier policing
The Sun
7 days ago
- The Sun
Teacher branded ‘Islamaphobic' and SACKED after describing Lucy Connolly's prison sentence as ‘two-tier policing'
A TEACHER who was branded "Islamophobic" has been sacked after saying Lucy Connolly's prison sentence was 'two-tier policing'. Simon Pearson taught English to foreign language students at Preston College in Lancashire. 4 4 4 The 56-year-old was removed following an internal investigation after posting about Connolly - who was handed a 31-month sentence for inciting racial hatred in a social media post following last year's Southport riots. Simon described Connolly's post as "obviously wrong" but went on to say her imprisonment was "two tier policy from the top down". He was dismissed after a complaint from a Muslim rep of the NEU accused him of being 'Islamophobic' and 'racially discriminatory'. The teacher said he apologised and claimed to have provided evidence of his support for both Muslim students and asylum seekers. But it was found that the posts were a violation of the college's policies, damaging of professional relationships and likely to bring the college's reputation into disrepute. Simon has now started legal action, which has been filed at an employment tribunal, with claims of wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment, and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. He told The Telegraph: 'I am appalled by the way I've been treated. I've dedicated my life to education and to supporting students from all walks of life. 'Yet as soon as I was branded 'Islamophobic' for expressing concern about violent crime, I became a marked man. "It was clear that I had to be found guilty by the college, it became a witch hunt, and I had to be eliminated no matter what.' Lucy Connolly, 41, was sent to prison for 31 months in October after being found guilty of inciting racial hatred. She will go free from HMP Peterborough in August having served 40 per cent of her term, The Sun understands. Her tweet, which was viewed more than 300,000 times before she deleted it, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f* hotels full of the b** for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.' It had been prompted by false rumours that the suspect behind the murder of three girls at a dance class in Southport was an illegal immigrant. Connolly, from Northampton, the wife of a former Tory councillor, lost an appeal to reduce her sentence in May. Nigel Farage has previously called for her release and called her jail term 'absolutely excessive'. But Sir Keir Starmer has defended the sentence, saying he would 'always support' the UK court system. A spokesperson for the NEU said: "The management of Preston College reached a decision to dismiss the teacher following disciplinary procedures. "The NEU was not directly involved in these processes and it will be for the Employment Tribunal to consider the fairness of the dismissal if and when the claim reaches a hearing." 4
Daily Mail
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Teacher who was called 'Islamophobic' and sacked after describing Lucy Connolly's prison sentence as two-tier policing says he has been victim of 'witch hunt'
A teacher branded 'Islamophobic' has been sacked after describing Lucy Connolly's prison sentence as an example of two-tier policing. Simon Pearson, a teacher at Preston College, has said he fell victim to an unfair 'witch hunt' which resulted in his dismissal from his position at Preston College. The 56-year-old, working as an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher at the higher education institution, was removed following an internal investigation. Connolly, wife of a Tory councillor, was given a 31-month sentence in October after pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred in a social media post following last year's Southport riots. The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it.' In a Facebook post, Mr Pearson described Connolly's online comments as 'obviously wrong', but said that he believed her prison sentence was a 'two tier policy from the top down' and that she 'should not have been jailed', The Telegraph has reported. An internal investigation was launched following a complaint submitted by a Muslim representative of the National Education Union (NEU) at the school who alleged that the post was 'Islamophobic' and 'racially discriminatory'. Mr Pearson said that following the raised concern, he apologised and also claimed to have provided evidence of his support for both Muslim students and asylum seekers. Pictured: Mr Pearson's Facebook post that eventually resulted in his dismissal. Preston College's investigation deemed the posts a violation of its policies, damaging of professional relationships and likely to bring the college's reputation into disrepute However, the college's investigation deemed the posts a violation of its policies, damaging of professional relationships and likely to bring the college's reputation into disrepute. Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Pearson said he had been left 'appalled' by the decision, particularly given his life-long commitment to helping to support and educate students 'from all walks of life'. Describing his dismissal as a 'grave injustice', he added: 'As soon as I was branded 'Islamophobic' for expressing concern about violent crime, I became a marked man. 'It was clear that I had to be found guilty by the college, it became a witch hunt, and I had to be eliminated no matter what.' Mr Pearson, who has now launched legal action at an employment tribunal, has claimed wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment and discrimination under the Equality Act of 2010. Lord Young of Acton, founder of the Free Speech Union, told The Telegraph that the decision to sack Mr Pearson was 'striking', criticising the NEU for 'siding with management and actively trying to get workers sacked'. A spokesperson for The Christian Legal Centre, supporting Mr Pearson, described the case as an indication of the 'dangerous consequences of the vague and weaponised use of the term 'Islamophobia'. They added: 'In a free and democratic society, we must be able to discuss public events and express concern about violence and injustice without fear of losing our livelihoods. 'The definition of Islamophobia is being used to silence legitimate speech and punish those who dare to speak out. We stand firmly behind this teacher and his right to freedom of expression.' Connolly, of Northampton, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in October and imprisoned at HMP Drake Hall, Staffordshire after admitting to making her 'racist' post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The 42-year-old former childminder, wife of Tory councillor Ray Connolly, lost her 19-month-old son, Harry, in 2011. With around 9,000 followers on X at the time, Connolly's message was reposted 940 times and viewed 310,000 times before she deleted it around three and a half hours later. The mother-of-one was arrested on August 6 last year, by which point she had deleted her social media account. But other messages which included other condemning remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone. Her X post was made just hours after killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, sparking nationwide unrest. A number of public figures and politicians have spoken out since Connolly was handed her sentence, claiming that she is a victim of 'two-tier justice'. Connolly's husband, Raymond, a former West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor, said on the day she lost her appeal: 'Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she will release 40,000 prisoners, some of them dangerous men on tag. 'Lucy has not been allowed out on tag and she has been denied leave to see our child who is struggling. 'Today, the court had the opportunity to reduce her cruelly long and disproportionate sentence, but they refused. That feels like two-tier justice. 'The British people know all this is not right. They have given an amazing £81,000 so far to Lucy's crowd-funder. Despite today's upsetting setback, Lucy gets courage from everyone's kind support.' Mr Connolly had been a Tory West Northamptonshire district councillor but lost his seat in May. He remains on the town council. Connolly's supporters, including the Free Speech Union, argue that – as a woman with significant mitigating factors including the lack of previous convictions, a young daughter at home and the death of her baby son – Connolly's 285 days in custody already represent punishment enough. Adelle Healy, 42, who has been friends with Connolly for nine years, previously told the Daily Mail: 'Lucy was horrified and heartbroken that three little girls had been murdered. She let her emotions take over and wrote something that she definitely shouldn't have done but she has paid a very dear price. 'She should not be behind bars for a tweet. I think it's ludicrous that it's got to this point.' In May, Connolly lost an appeal to shorten her 31-month sentence despite telling the Court of Appeal in London that she 'never' intended to incite violence and did not realise that pleading guilty would mean she accepted that she had. Meanwhile, earlier this week, a friend of Connolly shared a post to X saying that she believed Connolly would be 'with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand' this time next month, it expected that she could be released as early as August 21. The pal, who describes herself as a '"conspiracy" blonde', said: 'Missed a call whilst working today and not spoke to her for 2 weeks now... *HOWEVER* Happy to say that this time next month Lucy will be with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand - And more importantly her family AT HOME.' She concluded the post with, 'What a year it's been...' The Southport atrocity sparked nationwide unrest, with several people - including Connolly - jailed as a result. Connolly's case received international interest with the White House saying in May it was ' monitoring' Connolly's case. The length of her sentence, which has seen her locked up alongside career crooks, has drawn bitter criticism from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, as well as a raft of free speech advocates for being unduly harsh. Reform's Richard Tice even previously proposed a bill - named 'Lucy's Bill' - which would allow people to mount mass appeals against punishments they deem to be too severe or lenient. A spokesperson for the NEU said: 'The management of Preston College reached a decision to dismiss the teacher following disciplinary procedures. 'The NEU was not directly involved in these processes and it will be for the Employment Tribunal to consider the fairness of the dismissal if and when the claim reaches a hearing.' Preston College and the Christian Legal Centre have both been approached for comment.
Telegraph
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Teacher sacked after criticising ‘two-tier justice' in Lucy Connolly case
A teacher was sacked after saying Lucy Connolly 's prison sentence was an example of 'two-tier policing'. In a post on social media, Simon Pearson, 56, who teaches at Preston College said Connolly's online comments were 'obviously wrong' but she ' should not have been jailed '. But he was dismissed after an internal investigation, prompted by a complaint from a Muslim representative of the National Education Union (NEU) at the school, found his online posts had the potential to bring the college into disrepute. Mr Pearson told The Telegraph: 'I am appalled by the way I've been treated. I've dedicated my life to education and to supporting students from all walks of life. 'Yet as soon as I was branded 'Islamophobic' for expressing concern about violent crime, I became a marked man. It was clear that I had to be found guilty by the college, it became a witch hunt, and I had to be eliminated no matter what.' Mr Pearson is an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher at the further education college in Fulwood. Connolly was jailed in October last year after posting an online message on the day of the Southport murders, that read: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f---ing hotels full of the b------s for all I care, while you're at it take the treacherous government politicians with them.' The 42-year-old, who had lost a child of her own, deleted the post fewer than four hours later, but not before it had been viewed 310,000 times. Critics claimed her 15-month jail sentence was 'a clear example of two-tier justice '. Lord Young of Acton, founder of the Free Speech Union, said: 'The most striking aspect of this case is that the teacher was sacked at the behest of the NEU. 'Once upon a time, trade unions used to stick up for workers threatened with the sack for speaking out of turn. Now, they side with management and actively try to get workers sacked, including their dues-paying members.' In a post on Facebook, Mr Pearson described Connolly's comments as 'appalling' and 'obviously wrong'. He wrote: In another Facebook post, he discussed the Manchester Airport court case, writing: After Mr Pearson made the posts on social media, a Muslim representative of the National Education Union at Preston College submitted a formal complaint to the college, alleging that the Facebook posts were 'Islamophobic' and 'racially discriminatory'. Preston College bosses then launched an investigation. Mr Pearson apologised if he had offended anyone, and says he provided extensive evidence of his support for Muslim students and asylum seekers during this process. But the investigation concluded that the posts violated Preston College policies, damaged professional relationships, and had the potential to bring the college into disrepute. Mr Pearson has now started legal action, which has been filed at an employment tribunal, with claims of wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment, and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. He argues the posts were expressions of protected philosophical and Christian beliefs, including support for the rule of law, freedom of expression, and equal justice. Mr Pearson told The Telegraph: 'I cannot allow what has happened to me to go unchallenged. It is a grave injustice that should concern everybody who cares about freedom. 'I am determined to fight for justice and for the freedom to raise legitimate concerns in public and private as part of national debates on extremely serious issues that impact us all.' 'We need to cut their throats' Ricky Jones, 57, the Labour figure referred to in Mr Pearson's post, is actually a councillor. He was charged with encouraging violent disorder after he made a speech last year about 'disgusting Nazi fascists' and said 'we need to cut their throats and get rid of them'. Appearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court last September, Mr Jones pleaded not guilty to encouraging violent disorder. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, was convicted of assaulting PC Lydia Ward, causing actual bodily harm, and the assault of emergency worker PC Ellie Cook at Manchester Airport on July 23 last year after a three-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court. Mr Pearson's dismissal comes after Christian school administrator Kristie Higgs was sacked from her role at Farmor's School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, in 2019 for sharing Facebook posts criticising teaching about LGBT+ relationships in schools. In February, she won a Court of Appeal battle related to her dismissal, with three senior judges finding that the decision to sack her for gross misconduct was 'unlawfully discriminatory' and 'unquestionably a disproportionate response'. The Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Mr Pearson, says the case raises critical questions about the balance between workplace conduct, personal beliefs, and the right to speak freely on matters of public concern. A spokesman for the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'This case highlights the dangerous consequences of the vague and weaponised use of the term 'Islamophobia'. 'In a free and democratic society, we must be able to discuss public events and express concern about violence and injustice without fear of losing our livelihoods. 'The definition of Islamophobia is being used to silence legitimate speech and punish those who dare to speak out. We stand firmly behind this teacher and his right to freedom of expression.'
