Rev. Bernard Randall, an ordained Church of England minister, has reached a confidential settlement with Trent College, an independent school in Derbyshire, England, concluding a seven-year legal dispute. Randall was fired in 2019 after delivering a sermon on freedom of belief and conscience in response to a student's question about LGBTQ ideology at the Christian institution.
Randall, who served as chaplain for five years, had raised concerns when the school partnered with Educate and Celebrate, a group that aimed to embed queer theory into the school's culture. Following his sermon, in which he stated students were entitled to hold traditional Christian beliefs on marriage and biological sex while also emphasizing respect for differing views, Randall was summoned by administrators, interrogated, suspended, and investigated. He was subsequently reported to law enforcement and the U.K. government's counterterrorism program, Prevent, which determined he posed no threat. The Diocese of Derby also blacklisted him as a safeguarding risk.
Trent College initially fired Randall for gross misconduct. Although he was reinstated on appeal, it was under strict conditions that required administrative approval for chapel content and limited his sermon topics. He was later made redundant in December 2020, with the school citing pandemic-related furloughs. Randall challenged his dismissal with the support of the Christian Legal Centre.
An initial employment tribunal ruling was against Randall, but the Employment Appeal Tribunal set aside the judgment, ordered a retrial, and required Trent College to pay £20,000 in costs. This led to the confidential settlement. Following the legal proceedings, an independent Church of England review by the Diocese of London cleared Randall of all safeguarding allegations, deeming the concerns unsubstantiated and finding no evidence of harm.
Randall expressed relief but noted the seven years lost from ministry. "No minister, teacher or chaplain should be punished for upholding Christian teaching in a Christian setting," Randall stated. He also voiced concerns about the state of free speech in the United Kingdom, remarking that he sometimes wished the country had the First Amendment protections present in the United States. He observed a decline in the common phrase, "it's a free country," used to defend differing opinions.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and the U.S. State Department have previously expressed concerns over restrictions on speech and the prosecution of peaceful religious expression in the U.K. Randall stated that support from across the Atlantic regarding the importance of free speech and conscience is beneficial.
While Randall has completed safeguarding training and is eligible to return to public ministry, he awaits final approval, known as Permission to Officiate, from the Bishop of Derby. The Diocese of Derby has indicated it is supporting Randall's potential return to ministry and has signposted him to current vacancies and recruitment services. Trent College has been approached for comment.