Church of England official reportedly punted concerned father back to school
A concerned father is urging the chief education officer of the Church of England to take action over allegedly inappropriate and explicit sex education lessons in his child's church school.
The unidentified parent appealed to the Rev. Nigel Genders after claiming the unnamed Church of England school in Norfolk, England, is utilizing materials that teach children as young as 7 that they can be born in the wrong body, according to the London-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC), which is aiding his legal battle, according to the Christian Post.
The materials also reportedly encouraged young students to participate in simulated same-sex weddings.
The anonymous father reportedly expressed his concerns about the curriculum to the school and an independent review board, but his concerns were not addressed.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is shown before delivering his Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on April 17, 2022, in Canterbury, England. (Hollie Adams / Getty Images)
The parent also reportedly asked the Church of England to step in and explain why such a curriculum was being promoted at a Church of England school.
Genders reportedly responded to the parent's complaint by claiming that schools are allowed to make up their own minds about sex education lessons, and he punted the parent back to the school with regard to his grievance.
"I see that you have taken your concerns to the school, which is entirely the right and appropriate thing to do," Genders said, according to the CLC. "The [sex education] policy and decisions about the resources used to deliver it are the responsibility of the school in consultation with parents, having due regard to any advice from the Diocesan Board of Education."
"Given that schools are seeking to do the very best for children as they grow in maturity and mindful of the high-profile focus on this area in the media and elsewhere, it will be very helpful to have new guidance from the government on how these contested issues are handled within educational settings. We expect this guidance very soon," he continued.
UK SCHOOLS PUSH ‘GENDER BADGES’ ON 7-YEAR-OLDS, LGBT IDEOLOGY ON RELIGIOUS STUDENTS: WATCHDOG
A rainbow flag flies on the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Bromley, South London. (Darko Mlinarevic via Getty Images / File)
"We also look forward to the review of how [sex education] is being taught and the materials schools are using, as well as some clarity on the rather subjective question of age-appropriateness as it applies to teaching aspects of sex education," he added. "In the meantime, please do continue to be in discussion with your daughter's schools about your concerns."
The father, who has since reportedly pulled his two children and placed them in a different school, alleged that the Church of England is "passing the buck of responsibility" with regard to the contentious curriculum.
He said the material is "wholly age inappropriate, sexually explicit, ideologically influenced and unsupported by scientific basis."
"Teaching 7- to 8-year-old children that they can choose their gender (boy, girl, or not sure), and that they are only born 'like' a boy or 'like' a girl but that it is how they feel inside that counts, is a highly contested and dangerous concept that is not grounded in established science," he said.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, seated front, fourth from right, is shown with bishops from around the world at the University of Kent in Canterbury during a group photo at the 15th Lambeth Conference on July 29, 2022. (Gareth Fuller / PA Images via Getty Images)
The CLC, which has helped multiple families in the U.K. obtain legal representation against the Church of England with regard to alleged discrimination on the basis of their beliefs about sexuality, has recently raised the alarm about teaching materials in thousands of U.K. schools that suggest LGBTQ behavior is compatible with Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Lesson plans obtained by Fox News Digital – which consist of slides and activities compiled by the LGTBQ organization Just Like Us – promoted instruction about same-sex relationships to students as young as 5 for a diversity week last month. The nonprofit has been promoted at the highest levels of the U.K. government, including by former Prime Minister Theresa May.
"We are waiting for the DfE (Department for Education) to issue new guidance in this area and have committed to updating our document Valuing all God's Children once the new guidance is available," Genders, the Church of England’s chief education officer, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We are also pleased to know that there will be a thorough review of RSHE (Relationships, sex and health education) materials in the forthcoming DfE review as that will give a much better sense of the situation and enable us to take a view based on broader evidence."
Boxes of petitions protesting the Church of England's transgender guidance were dropped off Dec. 12 at Lambeth Palace, the London headquarters of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. (Christian Concern)
"The length of time it is taking for the government to produce guidance on policies for transgender pupils shows how complex the issues are in relationship to the law and equalities act - and faced with complaints or the threat of legal action on both sides of the argument, schools need guidance and clarity about the law so that they can continue to ensure children are treated with the dignity they deserve," Genders added.
Jon Brown is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
