A SWINDON teacher fired for gross misconduct has spoken out about his experience in a TV interview.

Kevin Lister lost his job after having three complaints against him upheld which related to the transphobic treatment of a 17-year-old A Level maths student who had asked to be referred to by he-him pronouns and a different name.

The school’s guide to supporting transitioning students is said to state that staff should "maintain confidentiality and only tell others about the person’s trans status with their permission".

Mr Lister disagreed with this policy, refused to refer to the student as male, and suggested that not telling the parents about the student's request was the actual safeguarding issue.

He told GB News: "My view was that I should not support the student's wish to transition unless I have got clear parental consent and the parents are making an informed decision as well.

"I was gobsmacked when safeguarding said they were not going to speak to the parents. 

"I knew that with the trans-affirmative policy in the college, for me to use what they call the deadname - her birth name - I would be accused of transphobia, but to then use her new name I would be encouraging the social transition without parental consent.

"So I avoided names altogether... and tried to be as gentle and supportive as I could in the nearly impossible circumstances I found myself in."

A disciplinary hearing found that he subjected a gender-transitioning student to transphobic discrimination and harassment, and refused to use the student's preferred name and pronouns.

Despite these findings, Mr Lister insists he has done nothing wrong and is claiming wrongful dismissal and discrimination.

He added: "A week after the safeguarding referral, there's a female maths competition.

"The student puts a hand up and says 'can I still enter the competition?' and I said 'of course you can because you're a girl', and I put her birth name up on the board, then got accused of deadnaming.

"If I'm forced to support some idea of fantasy, then what's the point of teaching at all?

"The answer I got back from the college when I put my grievance appeal through was that they did not need to inform the parents because it was only a name change. That was absolutely absurd."

His former employer previously told the Adver they were not able to comment on the situation.