Copyright bbc
Lawyers for Mr Ngole challenged the ruling of employment judge Jonathan Brain at a hearing in London earlier and set out the legal grounds of their appeal. The judge had found Mr Ngole was directly discriminated against when Touchstone rescinded the initial job offer, but rejected further claims of discrimination around the second interview and the final decision not to give him the job. During the 2024 hearing, Touchstone argued that vulnerable LGBT service users requiring mental health support could be more likely to harm themselves if they found out Mr Ngole's views about homosexuality. He had argued his religious views would not prevent him from looking after an LGBT service user. Speaking before the appeal hearing Mr Ngole said the UK was "no longer [...] a bastion of free speech and expression." "The ruling ultimately sets a dangerous precedent as it gives employers the freedom to block Christians, and anyone who doesn't promote LGBTQI+ ideology, from employment. "If I was discriminated against when they withdrew the job offer then I don't see how I was not also discriminated against when they refused to reinstate me after the second interview."
