A British Christian nurse faces losing her career after being demoted for ‘misgendering’ a convicted male paedophile who identified as female.
The shackled and heavily guarded high security prisoner from a men’s jail needed treatment at Jennifer Melle’s London hospital in May last year and confronted her, demanding that he be discharged.
She noted that the attached medical records indicated the patient was male.
But when the nurse inadvertently addressed the patient as “Mister,’ the prisoner angrily lunged at her for not using the preferred honorific and used vile racial slurs multiple times against the Ugandan-born nurse.
Ms. Melle said she was traumatised by the racial and potential physical attacks during the incident, but hospital managers told her that despite her ordeal, she still had to respect “equality and diversity” in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) code of conduct.
The 40-year-old nurse who had an unblemished record at the hospital for 12-years said she had no issues with people’s sexuality, but questioned where the respect was for her Christian beliefs.
NHS HOSPITAL TRUST TREATED NURSE “LIKE A CRIMINAL”
Christian Concern writes that: “Instead of supporting Jennifer, Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust has abandoned her and treated her like a criminal.”
Its investigation concluded that: “Although [Jennifer] felt unable to identify Patient-X using the preferred pronouns due to her religion, as outlined in the NMC Code of Conduct, it could be perceived that [her] actions could be seen as a potential breach of the code.”
She was accused of “not respecting the patient’s preferred identity’” and told her actions and behaviour had “fallen short of the Trust’s value of Respect.”
Ms. Melle was summoned to a disciplinary hearing last October and given a final written warning and referred to the NMC for potential further disciplinary action.
The NMC assessed the nurse as ‘a potential risk’ for not using the paedophile’s preferred gender identity.
“NHS POLICY SUPPORTS TRANS IDEOLOGY OVER BIOLOGICAL REALITY”
She has since been moved to another ward and effectively demoted.
Her name was wiped off the internal system, making it difficult for the mother of three to apply for extra shifts at the hospital which has impacted on her family.
A nursing colleague, who is not black, also referred to the prisoner as a man on the evening of the incident, but was never disciplined for doing so.
Christian Concern revealed it’s the latest in a series of cases where NHS policy supports trans ideology over biological reality.
“In this case, policy has led, in the name of inclusivity, to the NHS siding with a paedophile convicted of serious offences while pretending to be the opposite sex, over members of staff with Christian and gender-critical beliefs,” it said.
It also follows revelations British police are allowing criminals to ‘self-identify’ their gender on official records.
NURSE ALLEGES HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS BREACHES
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), Ms. Melle has launched a legal case against the NHS Trust, alleging harassment, discrimination and human rights’ breaches — which is believed to be unprecedented.
In response to her claims, NHS lawyers said that the Christian beliefs Ms. Melle holds, that we are born male and female, are “not worthy of respect in a democratic society.”
Jennifer Melle said: “I am devastated by how I have been treated and believe I am being institutionally abused, harassed, bullied and racially discriminated against.”
“Ever since I have expressed my Christian beliefs under extreme pressure, I have been a marked woman.”
“I do not feel supported by my colleagues, or the NHS, following the racial abuse and threat of physical violence I received from the patient.”
“I remained professional throughout and always treat each and every individual with dignity and respect.”
“My conduct throughout this incident and during my career has been fully compliant with the code.”
“I have been put at risk, but I am being treated like a criminal.”
“Sadly, if you put your head above the parapet and speak truthfully on these issues in the NHS, the risk is that you will be knocked down, punished severely and demoted.”
“I am trusting in Jesus to look after me. I have to take a stand on this issue and am concerned about how many other NHS workers are suffering in silence during similar experiences.”
CLC chief executive Andrea Williams reflected: “The NHS appears to remain captured by transgender ideology to the point it is prepared to back a convicted paedophile, who was clearly very disturbed and shouting racist comments, over the Christian nurse.”
“Jennifer Melle was genuinely doing her best while not wanting to deny her Christian faith and biological reality.”
“We will stand with Jennifer for as long as it takes for her to receive justice and with any other nurses who are discriminated against due to this dangerous ideology.”
Photo: Christian Concern
