Church vetoed teachers.

CHURCH authorities vetoed the appointment of Catholic teachers who divorced and remarried, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

Catholic teachers who sent their own children to non-religious schools were also banned from 'reserved posts' in church schools.

Candidates for the posts, which included headships, other senior posts and all religious teachers, all had to be approved by the Church, a former education boss told the hearing.

David McNab, a maths teacher at St Paul's RC High School in Pollok, Glasgow, has taken the city council to an employment tribunal, claiming religious discrimination.

He says he was not considered for a promoted post as principal teacher of pastoral care because he is an atheist.

Mr McNab, 53, told the Glasgow tribunal earlier he was made to feel a 'second-class citizen' when his head told him he could not be considered as the job required Catholic approval.

The council deny discrimination on the grounds of religion or religious belief.

Keir Bloomer, a former deputy director of education with Strathclyde Regional Council, told the tribunal Catholic teachers seeking jobs at Catholic schools had to gain church approval.

They had to satisy the Church as to their 'religious belief and character' but this didn't apply to non-Catholics who were applying for 'non-reserved' posts.

Mr Bloomer, now chief executive of Clackmannanshire Council, was asked why the Church may not approve of some Catholic teachers.

He replied 'Not sending their child to a Catholic school was quite a common one.

'Issues to do with marriage cropped up.

'Being divorced and remarried tended to be something the Church regarded as a just cause for withdrawing approval.'

Mr McNab claims a law banning discrimination on the grounds of religious belief means he should have been allowed to apply. The case continues

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TRIBUNAL: McNab