A SCOTS private school teacher who slammed Ruth Davidson for having a “fatherless child” has defended his rants by saying gay relationships are “undesirable”.
Richard Lucas, a former physics teacher at £35,000-per-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, made the comments on a video he posted to his YouTube channel.
Mr Lucas today accused the General Teaching Council for Scotland panel of discriminating against him during an investigation with them about his public video.
He also accused his school regulatory body of discriminating against him and claimed the hearing was an attack on his human rights regarding freedom of speech.
The former teacher, who is also leader of The Scottish Family Party, backed his argument by claiming that homosexual relationships were “undesirable”.
During the hearing today Mr Lucas said: “This is a case of abuse of human rights, there are laws which are relevant to this case.
“If it goes to a court of law these are things we will look at carefully.
“While I have brought forward detailed argumentation the GTCS have brought forward none.
“I’m not the one being intolerant, it is the GTCS. I am tolerant, I seek to debate with people rather than destroy their livelihood.”
Mr Lucas continued: “The experience of this case against me is an example of discrimination.
He then went on to say: “I do believe that homosexual relationships are undesirable but not blameworthy.
“The physical and mental health problems present in homosexual relationships make them undesirable.”
Since Monday, Mr Lucas spent several hours cross examining former headmaster of Merchiston Castle School, Andrew Hunter over the complaint.
He bizarrely quoted directly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and asked the headteacher if he would: “hire the Pope” to work at Merchiston Castle School.
Mr Lucas now faces being removed from the teaching register altogether following a complaint by a parent over a video he posted in April 2018.
Mr Lucas shared the video onto his YouTube channel titled “Ruth Davidson and the fatherless children”.
He captioned the 15-minute-clip: “Ruth Davidson wishes to normalise the production of fatherless children, does not value marriage, and follows the ABM childcare philosophy.”
In the video, Mr Lucas blasts the Conservative MSP for having a child saying: “They haven’t produced this baby together, this baby is the product of Ruth Davidson and a gentleman whose identity is a mystery to us.
“The important issue here is that this is the deliberate production of a fatherless child.”
He also says: “There is cause to be concerned about same sex marriage.”
Mr Lucas made reference to statistics published by American sociologist Mark Regenerus, he said: “The statistics always show worse outcomes for children from lesbian and gay parented households.”
Speaking to the panel on Monday, Mr Lucas said: “I admit to making the comments – I do not think that I am unfit to teach.”
Mr Lucas also took to his Facebook page on Saturday to defend his actions.
He said: “I still hold the views expressed in the “offending” video and I will continue to articulate these views regularly and publicly as I see fit.
“Whatever the outcome, I will immediately restate my views publicly and explicitly reject the right of GTCS to restrict my freedom of speech in this way.”
Ruth Davidson today declined to comment.
The hearing continues.
