Man suing Trafford Housing Trust for being demoted after Facebook comment (From Messenger Newspapers)

Man suing Trafford Housing Trust for being demoted after Facebook comment

3:28pm Friday 19th October 2012 in News By Kate Banks, Reporter

A CHRISTIAN man is suing Trafford Housing Trust (THT) for demoting him for comments he made about gay marriage on Facebook.

The second day of Adrian Smith’s two day trial is taking place today.

Father of two, Mr Smith, 53, was demoted from his £35,000 a year job to one that pays £14,000 less after making the comments in February last year.

He identified himself as a manager at THT on his Facebook profile.

Mr Smith posted a link to an online article with the headline ‘Gay church “marriage” to get go-ahead’ then added the comment “An equality too far.”

One of his friends then asked if he approved of gay marriage in a church and he replied: “ No, not really. I don’t understand why people who don’t believe in Christ would want to get hitched in church.”

A statement on the THT website affirms that Mr Smith made a claim for breach of human rights in October last year, but this element of his claim was dismissed in March and he was ordered to pay THT’s costs of defending his claim.

The statement added that the current court hearing relates: “The Trust's decision to demote him from his position as a manager.

“As this matter is subject to legal process, the trust cannot make any further comment at this time.”

Mr Smith’s legal challenge is being funded by the Christian Institute, which describes itself as a “nondenominational Christian charity committed to upholding the truths of the Bible.”