Gay “cure” policeman says sacking is destroying his family
A Christian policeman who was sacked after a series of circulated emails at work suggesting homosexuality was sinful said that the decision to dismiss him is “destroying” him and his family.
Complaints against former constable Graham Cogman stem back to 1995 when a gay colleague sent emails round to staff encouraging them to support Gay History Month by wearing a pink ribbon.
In response to this the Constable circulated emails quoting the Bible, suggesting homosexual sex was sinful.
He was sent to a disciplinary tribunal who fined him 13 days pay and barred him from using the internal messaging system.
Despite the ban, PC Cogman posted a link to an American Christian helpline. He was dismissed following a disciplinary hearing in November.
Mr Coleman told the Mail on Sunday “In the service in general there is a feeling of fear. There is a definite bias against faith – any faith – if it takes a critical view of homosexual sex.
“The easy option for me would have been to keep quiet but when there is such prejudice towards one point of view, how can that be right? That doesn’t sound like equality and diversity to me.
“I don’t have any worries with what people do in their private lives – if they are gay, that’s fine. I haven’t gone after anyone maliciously.”
“This officer’s behaviour fell well below what we expect of our people,” Deputy Chief Constable Ian Learmonth told the Norwich Evening News in November.
“The outcome follows a thorough investigation with evidence presented to a misconduct panel of three, two of whom were independent of the constabulary.”
