Christian Man Wins Court Battle Against British Employer Over Anti-Gay Marriage Facebook Post

Britain's High Court has ruled that a Christian man was unfairly demoted for posting his opposition to gay marriage on Facebook. TheBlaze first reported about Adrian Smith's battle with his employer back in October 2011.

Smith, 55, was stripped of his management position with the Trafford Housing Trust in northwest England and had his salary cut by 40 percent after posting that gay weddings in churches were "an equality too far." The property manager's pay cut amounted to a £14,000 per year decrease after simply sharing his view Christian churches shouldn’t be forced to marry gay couples.

Smith’s employer, the taxpayer-funded Trafford Housing Trust, summonsed him to a disciplinary meeting following a fellow staff member’s complaints about his Facebook comments. The company, which manages home sales in Sale and Greater Manchester, removed him from his managerial position and substantially cut his pay.

The trust said Smith broke its code of conduct by expressing religious or political views that might upset co-workers. But High Court judge Michael Briggs ruled Friday that Smith had been "taken to task for doing nothing wrong" and found his employer guilty of breach of contract.

Smith says he is glad the court had backed the principle that "Britain is a free country where people have freedom of speech."

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Related:

• Christian Man Demoted With a Pay Cut After Posting Anti-Gay Marriage Facebook Comments