Rev. Bernard Randall Settles 7-Year Case, Cleared After LGBTQ Sermon Firing

Q: What hidden details in the confidential settlement finally ended this bitter clash between religious freedom and modern inclusion policies?

The hidden details are not public. All reporting says the agreement between Trent College and Bernard Randall is confidential, so any exact terms—such as compensation, admissions, apologies, references, non-disclosure clauses or policy changes—have not been disclosed. What is known is the context that likely drove settlement. Randall’s original loss at tribunal was overturned after the Employment Appeal Tribunal said the judgment was “unsafe” and ordered a full retrial, while also directing Trent College to pay £20,000 in costs. That significantly changed the school’s legal position and raised the prospect of a fresh hearing into claims of discrimination, harassment, victimisation and unfair dismissal. Separately, the Church of England side of the dispute also shifted in Randall’s favour. An independent safeguarding review found the allegations against him were unsubstantiated and said there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns. He completed required safeguarding training and became eligible again for Permission to Officiate, removing one of the most damaging consequences of the case. So while the settlement’s hidden terms remain unknown, the public record shows why the case ended: the school faced a retrial after an appeal setback, Randall had been cleared by Prevent and later by an independent church review, and both sides had strong incentives to avoid more years of litigation. Beyond that, any claim about the settlement’s private details would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 26

Seven years after Trent College fired him, Rev. Bernard Randall reached a confidential settlement with the school and ended his legal fight over a 2019 sermon on belief, marriage and biological sex.
A Church of England review by the Diocese of London also cleared him of safeguarding allegations, calling the concerns unsubstantiated and finding no evidence that children were harmed.
Randall had been suspended, reported to police and the U.K. Prevent program, and blacklisted by the Diocese of Derby after objecting to an LGBTQ inclusion initiative and telling pupils they could hold traditional Christian beliefs respectfully.
An appeal tribunal had already overturned an earlier ruling against him, ordered a full retrial and told Trent College to pay £20,000 in costs, helping push the dispute toward settlement.
Randall is now eligible to return to public ministry after safeguarding training, but he is still awaiting permission from the Bishop of Derby to officiate.