Felix Ngole Addresses Court of Appeal in Religious Discrimination Case
On 28 September 2026, Christian social worker Felix Ngole returned to the Court of Appeal in his dispute with a mental health charity that withdrew his job offer after discovering his publicly expressed Christian beliefs. A tribunal has already ruled that the initial withdrawal was religious discrimination, and a further appeal found errors in how his remaining claims were decided. Ngole is now asking the court to rule on those claims without requiring him to repeat part of the case before the same tribunal.
Christian social worker Felix Ngole returned to the Court of Appeal on 28 and 29 September 2026 in a case arising from a job offer withdrawn by Touchstone Leeds. Ngole had previously won a 2019 Court of Appeal case against the University of Sheffield, which had removed him from a social work course over comments expressing his Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality. After he completed his training, Touchstone offered him a mental health support role in 2022, then withdrew the offer when it found reports about that earlier case. (OIDAC reported)
Touchstone told Ngole that his views conflicted with Touchstone's committment "to actively promoting and supporting LGBTQ+ rights". He replied that he would treat everyone fairly, but objected to being required to promote views contrary to his beliefs. The charity invited him to a second interview focused on whether he could fulfil the role and, afterwards, declined to reinstate the offer. Ngole challenged both the original withdrawal and the way he was treated after it.
In its 2024 judgment, the Employment Tribunal found that Touchstone had directly discriminated against Ngole when it first withdrew his conditional job offer because of his religious beliefs. It nevertheless rejected his claims concerning the second interview and the final refusal to employ him. This left Ngole with a recognised finding of discrimination, but without a finding in his favour on the decision that ultimately kept him from the job.
On 16 February 2026, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that the first tribunal had made legal errors when assessing those remaining claims. It explained that an employer cannot justify treating someone unfavourably simply because others might react badly to the fact that the person holds protected religious beliefs. At the same time, the appeal tribunal did not decide that every subsequent action by Touchstone was discriminatory. It directed the original tribunal to examine separately why the charity required a second interview and why it ultimately refused to reinstate the offer.
Ngole has now asked the Court of Appeal to go further. He argues that the facts already established show discrimination in the second interview and final refusal, making another hearing unnecessary. Alternatively, he asks that any reconsideration be heard by a different tribunal panel. Touchstone is also challenging aspects of the appeal ruling and maintains that its concerns related to his suitability for the role and the needs of its service users. The September hearing has concluded, but a written judgment has not yet been published.
The case has already established that Touchstone discriminated against Ngole when it first withdrew his offer. The question now before the Court of Appeal is whether an employer may subject a Christian applicant to additional scrutiny, and ultimately refuse to hire him, because of assumptions arising from beliefs he expressed years earlier outside the workplace. Its answer will determine whether Ngole’s existing victory extends to the decision that prevented him from taking up the role.
Source: Christian Concern, Case History, BBC, Christian Concern, September 2026 Update, Press Association Coverage
Image: Christian Concern