A teacher who faced being being struck off after posting a video in which he condemned Ruth Davidson’s "fatherless" pregnancy has been cleared to carry on teaching by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
Richard Lucas has been told he can stay on the register of teachers following a four-day hearing which found allegations his "discriminatory" language showed he was prejudiced against same-sex parents were not proved.
The video, posted on the internet in 2018 while Mr Lucas was working as a maths teacher at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, discussed Ms Davidson's pregancy with her female partner Jen Wilson.
READ MORE: Teacher faces being struck off over video
Ms Davidson, Holyrood leader for the Scottish Conservatives, gave birth to a son in October of that year, conceived through IVF.
Mr Lucas, who runs the Scottish Family Party political party, outlined his belief that same-sex couple produce worse outcomes for their children, and that there was "cause to be concerned" about same-sex marriage.
Ms Davidson and partner Jen Wilson with their baby son in 2018
Mr Lucas said: “They haven’t produced this baby together, this baby is the product of Ruth Davidson and a gentleman whose identity is a mystery to us.
“The important issue here is that this is the deliberate production of a fatherless child.”
Mr Lucas made reference to statistics published by American sociologist Mark Regenerus, he said: “The statistics always show worse outcomes for children from lesbian and gay parented households.
“But then the statistical jiggery pokery kicks in and by controlling for one thing or another eventually you can make those effects disappear and claim that the children turn out just as well.
“There’s good reason to think that there are problems associated with same sex parenthood.”
He was accused of using offensive language which would lead parents to conclude the he was "intolerant of and prejudiced against same sex parents", and would discriminate against them and their children in the course of his duties as a teacher.
Mr Lucas has been allowed to continue teaching
Posting on social media after being cleared, Mr Lucas said: “It is a disgrace that this case was ever brought in the first place. The expression of socially conservative views, in line with traditional religious teachings, should never endanger someone’s career.
READ MORE: Christian teacher must not be sacked, says Stuart Waiton
"GTCS seemed unable to distinguish between reasonable but unfashionable views and genuinely offensive and inflammatory expression.
"While I have been exonerated, the prospect of an ordeal of almost three years of investigation and process like mine will be more than enough to deter most teachers from speaking out what they believe.
"Finally, democracy is precious, but fragile. If whole professions are excluded from genuinely free public debate, the public square will become dominated by those sharing the liberal/secular/progressive views of organisations like GTCS.”
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