Former Trent College chaplain reaches settlement after disputed LGBT sermon case

Bernard Randall, former chaplain at Trent College in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, was dismissed in 2019 after delivering a sermon that questioned the school's LGBT inclusivity programme. He challenged the dismissal, winning an appeal, but the school later offered a reduced-hour role which he declined, leading to redundancy. A tribunal ordered the school to cover roughly £20,000 in costs, and a 2025 Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling found the earlier judgment unsafe, resulting in a confidential settlement.

Randall had been reported to the Prevent watchdog and referred to the Teaching Regulation Authority and the Disclosure and Barring Service, both of which took no further action. Christian Concern said the settlement allows him to resume preaching in Church of England parishes, citing no safeguarding concerns. The case highlights tensions between religious teaching and school diversity policies.