Christian Student Kicked out of University for Voicing Opposition to Gay Marriage

Christian postgraduate student Felix Ngole has been kicked out of university after he voiced opposition to gay marriage in a conversation on Facebook.

Felix Ngole, 38, was expelled from Sheffield University after he posted a comment against gay marriage in a discussion thread on Facebook. The Telegraph notes that aside from the Christian student, other people also voiced out their own opinions on the topic under the thread.

Ngole expressed his support for Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who was imprisoned after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples even after same-sex unions were legalized in the United States in September 2015.

Aside from that, the Christian student used a Bible verse to label same-sex activity a sin, the report details.

Two months after he posted his opposition to gay marriage, Ngole attended a disciplinary hearing at the university. Apparently, a fellow student complained about his views and he was told that he broke social network rules on "personal conduct" grounds.

The "Fitness to Practise Committee" concluded that while Ngole was entitled to his own opinion on gay marriage, voicing it out may have offended some people. Doing so was also a form of stepping beyond his boundaries and is an act deemed "inappropriate" for a person aiming to do social work.

In addition, they told him his Facebook comment would affect his future profession as a social worker. Thus, the University of Sheffield expelled the Christian student and ordered him to surrender his student ID and library card.

Ngole has gotten the support of the Christian Legal Centre and is planning to appeal the decision. He explained that expelling him from the university is a breach of his right to freedom of expression and religious freedom.

Moreover, Ngole said a university is not the right body to determine a potential student's qualification for a professional body. The Christian student also said that while the university says his opinion discriminates against the gay community, he is the one being discriminated upon just because he voiced out his Christian beliefs, which have been held by Christians for centuries.

The Sheffield University has not yet released a comment on the situation.