THE DEAN of St Albans is understood to be threatening legal action against the Church of England unless he is made a Bishop.
The Very Rev Jeffrey John, who is openly gay, has twice been rejected as a Bishop and according to a national Sunday newspaper is looking to sue the church for discrimination under equality laws.
In 2003 he was forced to withdraw as a candidate for the post of Bishop of Reading and in 2010 he was passed over for the Bishopric of Southwark.
The Sunday Times was told that Dr John, who has entered into a civil partnership with his long-time partner, has hired one of Britain’s leading discrimination lawyers to fight the case under the Equality Act.
A spokesperson for the St Albans Diocese said this week that they had no comment to make. The Rev Colin Coward, director of Changing Attitude England, who also did not wish to comment, said Dr John was a private man who did not seek publicity.
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