Primary school receptionist 'facing sack' after daughter talks about Jesus to classmate
A primary school receptionist, Jennie Cain, whose five-year-old daughter was told off for talking about Jesus in class is now facing the sack for seeking support from her church.
Mrs Cain sent a private email to close friends to ask for prayers for her daughter after she was called into the school where she worked in Crediton, Devon, to be reprimanded.
Her daughter Jasmine had been overheard by a teacher discussing heaven and God with a friend and had been pulled to one side and told off.
Mrs Cain contacted 10 close friends from her church by email but the message fell into the hands of Gary Read, the headmaster of Landscore Primary School where she works.
The 38-year-old mother of two is now being investigated for professional misconduct for allegedly making claims against the school and its staff.
Mrs Cain has been told she may be disciplined and was warned she could face dismissal.
Her case is being supported by the Christian Institute who said Mrs Cain was the latest example of a Christian being persecuted by society.
Last week, nurse Caroline Petrie was told she could go back to work having been suspended for two months for offering to pray for a patient.
Yesterday, Mrs Cain said both her daughter and son were confused about what to say about their faith.
She told The Daily Telegraph: "I think there is something about what I represent, about what the three of us represent.
"This action that has been taken against me, how it has escalated, how trapped I feel – it is overwhelming.
"The speed at which it has got to a place where I am being investigated for misconduct and could be dismissed, it is shocking."
Mrs Cain, who has worked part-time at the school for two and a half years, describes herself as a "quiet Christian" who would never force her beliefs on others.
But she said she was angry about the way she had been treated: "I felt embarrassed that a private prayer email was read by the school – it felt like someone had gone through my personal prayer diary.
"I feel my beliefs are so central to who I am, are such a part of my children's life.
"I do feel our beliefs haven't been respected and I don't feel I have been treated fairly. I don't know what I am supposed to have done wrong."
On January 22, Mrs Cain went to pick up her children from the 275-strong primary school.
"My daughter burst into tears, her face was all red and she was clearly upset.
"She said 'my teacher told me I couldn't talk about Jesus' – I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"She said she was taken aside in the classroom and told she couldn't say that. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do."
Mrs Cain said she decided to wait until she wasn't working to discuss the issue with the teacher Sharon Gottelier as a parent rather than an employee.
But she was called into Mr Read's office the next day over another matter before he started discussing Jasmine.
"He started talking about my daughter about how he wasn't happy about her making statements about her faith.
"At that point I froze, I felt very small and I felt trapped as I was a junior member of staff."
That weekend, she emailed a prayer request from her personal computer at home to 10 trusted friends from her church.
"I asked them to please pray for us, please pray for Jasmine, please pray for the school and pray for the church."
A few days later she was called back into Mr Read's office.
"I didn't think at this point I could be more stunned. He had in his hand a copy of my private, personal email and it was highlighted all the way through.
"He said that he was going to investigate me for professional misconduct because I had been making allegations about the school and staff to members of the public."
Mrs Cain, who was not suspended, said he refused to tell her where he had got the email but said two independent governors would be taking statements and calling witnesses.
"He said the investigation could be followed by disciplinary action up to and including dismissal because of this private email."
Mrs Cain said she still did not know how Mr Read came into possession of the email but she said the school was sending mixed messages by allowing carols at Christmas and celebrating the Hindu festival of divali.
"If my children can go to school and sing a song which mentions Jesus, how are they meant to know that they are then not allowed to talk about God?"
Mike Judge, from the Christian Institute, said children should be allowed to discuss religion with each other without interference from teachers.
"This is the latest in a series where Christians are being persecuted for their religious beliefs.
"It is really getting to a point where it has to stop. I think the Government has got to start looking at its legislation.
"Christians are in the firing line, not other minority groups."
Mr Read said: "An investigation by the governors of the school is being held into the conduct of a member of staff and at this stage I cannot comment any further."
As The Daily Telegraph disclosed on Monday, teachers now face being disciplined if they discuss their religious beliefs in school.
The profession's regulator, the General Teaching Council, has drawn up a new code of practice that states classroom staff must "promote equality and value diversity".
It was an alleged lack of commitment to this requirement that was used to suspend Mrs Petrie.
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