A senior nurse is fighting to save her career after refusing to refer to a child sex offender as a woman.
Jennifer Melle, 40, from Croydon, was disciplined by Epsom and St Helier University Hospital Trust when she declined to use female pronouns for a convicted paedophile known as 'Mr X'.
The offender, currently in a high-security male prison, was jailed for luring boys into sexual acts while posing as a teenage girl on social media.
After her refusal, Melle claims she faced racial abuse and physical threats, but instead of receiving support, she was given a final written warning and referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
NHS lawyers have argued that Melle's Christian belief that humans are born male or female is "not worthy of respect in a democratic society."
An investigation concluded she had breached the NMC Code of Conduct by not respecting the patient's "preferred identity" and failing to uphold the Trust's value of "Respect".
Melle claims she has since been moved to another ward, effectively demoted, and had her name removed from internal systems, preventing her from applying for extra shifts.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, she has now launched legal action against the Trust on grounds of harassment, discrimination and human rights breaches.
The case follows recent controversies including the Sullivan report, which revealed police are allowing criminals to 'self-identify' their gender on official records.
