A school in the United Kingdom fired a teacher for saying she was pro-life, and now she’s fighting the case at an employment tribunal.
Sarah Morse, a United States citizen, had been a teacher for over 20 years and had recently begun teaching at Arbroath High School in Scotland when students who were curious about her American background asked her opinion on such topics as President Donald Trump and abortion.
Morse answered their questions, and at the end of the day on Nov. 19, 2025, she was called to the school office.
“When I was summoned to the office, I thought it was to go through paperwork and school procedures such as fire drills after accepting an extension to my contract,” Morse said. “Instead, I was summarily dismissed by the school management.”
“Summary dismissal” terminates employment without notice, and it usually occurs in cases of “gross misconduct (for example theft, fraud, violence),” according to the U.K. government website.
Morse’s “misconduct” was the conversation she had with her students.
“You talked to the kids about your religion and abortion,” school leadership stated.
When a student asked Morse about her view on abortion, she didn’t attempt to disguise her opinion.
“I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it,” Morse said.
But Arbroath High School fired Morse without conversation or questioning.
“I was not offered any sort of right of reply, asked for my account of what happened or how my legally protected beliefs were raised in the context of a history class, and the head teacher wouldn’t even see me,” Morse said.
Pro-Life Org Helps Teacher Fight Dismissal
After her dismissal, Morse approached the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, U.K.’s largest pro-life organization, which connected her with the barrister Alistair Forsyth.
He will defend her case at the employment tribunal, which is currently scheduled for Aug. 24, according to the organization.
Ben Weller, a researcher and broadcaster for Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said the pro-life organization wanted to back Morse because she is one of many pro-life teachers who are unable to express their views.
“She’s not the only pro-life teacher in the entirety of Britain,” Weller said. “So, we thought that if we platformed her in actually getting her rights recognized, her freedom of religion recognized, then hopefully other people come out of the woodwork and say either, ‘This has happened to me,’ or they can get the liberty to be able to talk about their views in the classroom as well.”
A statement from the group notes that the dismissal of Morse appears to breach multiple articles in the European Convention on Human Rights, including articles defending freedom of thought and religion, freedom of expression, and prohibiting discrimination.
“Government guidelines on political impartiality in the classroom do not prohibit the mention of a teacher’s legally protected beliefs, provided there is no attempt to persuade,” said Michael Robinson, the organization’s executive director. “Sarah, a teacher with considerable experience, acted as a facilitator of open, respectful dialogue—for which she has been punished with the loss of her care, pay, and damage to her reputation.”
The U.K. has enforced strict laws regarding pro-life speech, including a 150-yard buffer zone surrounding all abortion clinics. In Scotland, that zone includes houses within the area, and a person may be arrested for praying at his window if he lived within the buffer zone, according to Weller.
Even mentioning the life issue among friends is risky.
“I mean, I’ve had drinks thrown at me by friends before for mentioning abortion,” Weller said. “It’s so difficult because it’s seen as the settled issue. It’s one thing that you hear from, especially the pro-abortion Left, is whenever anyone voices an anti-abortion opinion, they say, ‘That’s an American issue that’s settled here.’”
People who disagree with this issue cannot be dismissed for their views, according to Robinson.
“This latest incident of trying to silence someone with traditional or religious views is utterly disgraceful and should worry us all,” Robinson said. “Sarah did nothing wrong, she simply answered questions from a group of young people about her legally protected beliefs.”
Morse said the only opinion she wanted to impress on her students was that they could talk about complex topics.
“At no time did I attempt to persuade any student to adopt my position,” Morse said. “I taught them that it is possible to have hard conversations with respect and that disagreement is a natural part of a free society. To be ‘cancelled’ and lose my livelihood because of my religious identity is a terrifying precedent for the teaching profession in Scotland.”
Abroath High School has not yet responded to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.
Continue reading...
[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
