London, UK - A Christian nurse who refused to remove a crucifix at work has lost her claim for discrimination after an employment tribunal panel ruled that she should have reached a compromise with her hospital employers.
Shirley Chaplin, 54, suggested that her religious beliefs would be “violated” if she took off the necklace because she felt that she was being asked to hide her faith. She had the support of a number of bishops who claim that Christians are being persecuted in an increasingly secular society. The Archbishop of Canterbury has also criticised a “wooden-headed bureaucratic silliness” that prevents people from wearing religious symbols at work.
John Hollow, the tribunal chairman, ruled that the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital had acted reasonably in trying to reach a compromise. It had argued that the objection to the crucifix, which Mrs Chaplin, from Kenn, near Exeter, had worn for 30 years, was based on health and safety concerns about patients grabbing the necklace, not religion.
Mr Hollow suggested that the damage to Mrs Chaplin, who wore the jewellery each day to the hearing in Exeter, had been “slight” and noted that wearing a cross was not a requirement of the Christian faith.
After the judgment Mrs Chaplin said that every Christian would now be afraid to reveal their beliefs at work, adding: “This is a very bad day for Christianity.”
Mrs Chaplin had told the tribunal that she was told to remove the crucifix from the necklace in June last year after matrons declared it a health risk. They claimed that it could be pulled by one of the elderly and confused patients under her care. Instead, they suggested, she could wear it inside a pocket.
Mrs Chaplin, who had worked at the trust since 1989, felt that she was being forced to choose between her job and her faith. She was moved to a desk job after refusing to take the cross off.
At the tribunal she claimed that that two Muslim women doctors at the same hospital were exempted from its uniform policy because they were allowed to wear headscarves.
The hospital came up with a series of compromises after Mrs Chaplin’s case was taken up by the Christian Legal Centre. Managers suggested that she pin it to her uniform or wear it on her identity lanyard.
In his ruling Mr Hollow said that the hospital had treated staff from ethnic minorities equally by ordering Sikhs to remove wrist bangles and Muslim doctors to switch to tighter-fitting hijabs.
Mrs Chaplin, a member of the Free Church of England, said after the hearing that she did not know what her future would be but intended to go to work as normal. The Christian Legal Centre intends to appeal.