Rev Bernard Randall has concluded a legal dispute with Trent College in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, following his dismissal in 2019. The school chaplain, who delivered a sermon questioning elements of an LGBT inclusivity programme, has reached a confidential settlement with the institution after years of tribunal proceedings and appeals.
Randall was removed from his role two months after preaching to pupils aged 11 to 17 in June 2019. During the sermon, he responded to a sixth-form student's question about why the school promoted LGBT acceptance in a Christian environment. He told the tribunal he included the pupil's question—"Sir, how come we are told we have to accept all this LGBT stuff in a Christian school?"—within his address, which prompted concerns among school leadership.
In his sermon, Randall stated:
"You do not have to accept the ideas of LGBT activists."The address triggered complaints from some pupils, parents and staff members, several of whom reported being deeply upset by the content.
What led to his dismissal?
Randall's removal followed his opposition to aspects of a programme the school was implementing to enhance LGBT inclusivity. The initiative, developed by the charity Educate and Celebrate, became a focal point of his concerns. At an employment tribunal, Randall argued that elements of the programme—including terminology such as "sex assigned at birth" and "cisgender"—were ideologically driven rather than educationally neutral.
He told the tribunal:
"Educate and Celebrate went beyond a neutral stance of inclusivity into the implantation of ideas I consider to be identity politics."Randall characterised parts of the scheme as Marxist, revolutionary, atheist and incompatible with Christian doctrine. Christian Concern, the advocacy group supporting his case, stated that Randall's sermon reflected established Church of England teaching on marriage.
Following the sermon, Randall was reported to Prevent, the government counter-terrorism watchdog, a referral that later became a significant point of contention in his legal challenge. He initially appealed his dismissal, and the decision was overturned, but he received a final warning. When Trent College subsequently proposed reducing the chaplaincy role to seven hours during term time only, Randall declined the offer and was made redundant.
How did the legal process unfold?
At an unfair dismissal hearing in February 2023, a judge ruled that the school's redundancy process was genuine and reasonable, and that the Prevent referral had been justified "from a safeguarding perspective". This judgment appeared to close the matter in the school's favour. However, in March 2025, Judge James Tayler of the Employment Appeal Tribunal determined that the original judgment was "unsafe" and ordered the case to be reheard, citing concerns about potential bias in the original panel's decision.
Before the retrial could proceed, Randall and Trent College reached an out-of-court settlement. According to Christian Concern, the agreement was confidential, though Trent College had previously been ordered to pay Randall approximately £20,000 in costs by a judge during the proceedings.
What happened to the safeguarding concerns?
The Prevent referral and subsequent safeguarding investigations had cast a shadow over Randall's ministry for years. Christian Concern reported that the head of Trent College at the time, Bill Penty, had also referred Randall to the Teaching Regulation Authority (TRA) and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The TRA decided not to pursue a case, while the DBS concluded Randall had no case to answer.
A significant development came through a Church of England safeguarding review. According to Christian Concern's statement, an independent investigator concluded they could not "establish, on the balance of probabilities, that harm was caused by the delivery of the sermons". The review determined that
"the concern or allegation was unsubstantiated and there are no ongoing safeguarding concerns", effectively clearing Randall of the allegations that had restricted his ministry.
Can Randall return to ministry?
With the safeguarding review completed and the allegations found to be unsubstantiated, Randall's path back to public ministry has opened. According to Christian Concern, Randall has completed all mandatory safeguarding training and is now eligible for Permission to Officiate in Church of England churches, pending approval from the Bishop of Derby. This represents a formal restoration of his standing within the denomination after years of suspension from active ministry.
What has Randall said about the case?
Reflecting on the seven-year ordeal, Randall expressed the toll the dispute has taken on him. He stated:
"Seven years have been taken from me by the case and my faith and loyalty to the Church has been tested to the extreme."He emphasised his commitment to encouraging critical thinking among pupils, saying:
"I encouraged pupils to think, to debate, and to love their neighbours whatever they believed."
Randall added:
"No minister, teacher or chaplain should be punished for upholding Christian teaching in a Christian setting. I want to thank my legal team and everyone who has stood with and supported me, and especially the many people who have prayed for me throughout this ordeal."
When asked about his emotional state, Randall told a national broadcaster that he had "been out of ministry for over seven years" as a result of the case. On the question of forgiveness, he reflected:
"I don't feel angry, I try not to. It's very difficult to forgive, I'm working on that."
What is Trent College's position?
Trent College declined to provide further comment on the settlement or the circumstances surrounding Randall's dismissal and the subsequent legal proceedings. The fee-paying boarding school has not publicly addressed the findings of the safeguarding review or responded to the Employment Appeal Tribunal's determination that the original judgment was unsafe.
Key facts
- Randall was dismissed in 2019, two months after delivering a sermon questioning an LGBT inclusivity programme at the school
- An initial unfair dismissal claim was rejected in February 2023, but the Employment Appeal Tribunal found the original judgment unsafe in March 2025
- A Church of England safeguarding review concluded the allegations against Randall were unsubstantiated with no ongoing concerns
- Randall has completed mandatory safeguarding training and is eligible for Permission to Officiate pending the Bishop of Derby's approval
- The settlement between Randall and Trent College is confidential, though the school had previously been ordered to pay £20,000 in costs
