A teacher has been sacked following a trade union complaint about social media posts in which he criticised “two-tier policing” in the case of Lucy Connolly – the woman jailed for 31 months last year after posting an offensive message about a mosque in Southport that was widely condemned across the political spectrum.
Simon Pearson, 56, who taught English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Preston College, was dismissed after an internal investigation triggered by a formal complaint from a Muslim representative of the National Education Union (NEU). The complaint alleged that Mr Pearson’s posts were “Islamophobic” and “racially discriminatory”.
Following an investigation, the college concluded that posts made on Mr Pearson’s personal Facebook account breached internal policies, risked damaging professional relationships and had the potential to bring the institution into disrepute.
In one post, written shortly after Connolly’s sentencing, Mr Pearson said her comments were “obviously wrong” but argued she “should not have been jailed”. He went on to question what he saw as inconsistencies in how the criminal justice system responds to inflammatory speech, contrasting Connolly’s treatment with the perceived tolerance shown towards “certain sections of society calling for the genocide of Jews”, who, he claimed, were “free to express their opinions and make Jewish people afraid to walk the streets”.
Connolly, 42, was jailed in October 2024 after posting a 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.” Although she deleted the post within four hours, it had already been viewed more than 300,000 times. The 31-month sentence drew criticism from commentators across the spectrum, who described it as disproportionate and politically charged.
Another Facebook post by Mr Pearson commented on the arrest of two men, Amaaz Ahmed and his brother Muhammad, who were detained at Manchester Airport and later charged with assaults on police officers. Viral footage of the incident showed Amaaz violently resisting arrest: he punched PC Lydia Ward in the face, breaking her nose, and elbowed PC Ellie Cook multiple times, causing her to fall to the ground. The prosecution described their conduct as a “high level of violence”, with CCTV and body-worn camera footage substantiating the aggressive assault on officers who had come to arrest Amaaz after he allegedly head-butted a member of the public at a nearby Starbucks.
Defending the officers’ conduct, Mr Pearson accused the media of selective reporting. “If these people have no respect for the police and UK laws they need deporting back to their ancestral home and their property confiscated by the state,” he wrote. “They deserved all they got in return and more. The police deserve a medal.”
Although Mr Pearson later apologised if he had offended anyone and submitted material detailing his support for Muslim students and asylum seekers, the college upheld the complaint.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Pearson said: “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 now pursuing legal action through the employment tribunal system, bringing claims of wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment, and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. He argues that his Facebook posts were lawful expressions of his philosophical and Christian beliefs, including support for equal justice, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.
Commenting on the case, 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.”
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