North Yorkshire Police have reached a confidential settlement with a former police community support officer (PCSO) who claimed he was discriminated against and forced out after raising questions about Islam during mandatory diversity training.
Luke Salmons brought claims against the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police (NYP), alleging religious discrimination and breaches of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights after he was suspended in October 2024 and later dismissed for “gross misconduct”, as well as being permanently barred from policing.
The case, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, was settled on confidential terms before reaching an employment tribunal hearing.
Tensions apparently arose during a compulsory training programme on race, religion and culture, when trainers repeatedly chanted: “Islam is a religion of peace.”
“At that point, it stopped being training and became indoctrination,” Salmons said.
He alleged the training gave disproportionate focus to Islam and limited discussion of Christianity, including an instruction that an internal Easter-related piece could not include Bible verses.
The former officer was suspended two days after asking questions during a training session, including about “jihad” and conflicts in the Middle East, according to his legal claim.
He was later reported for being “combative and critical of the views expressed in the training” and told he was not permitted to discuss his morals in the workplace.
In October 2024 he was suspended, allegedly being branded an “organisational risk” and someone who holds “racist and homophobic” views, allegations he said were not put to him for response.
Salmons was dismissed after a gross misconduct hearing concluded he had engaged in “discreditable conduct” and that the religious and political beliefs he expressed were “not aligned with NYP policies”. He was also placed on the Police Barred List, preventing him from working in policing for at least five years and potentially for life.
On appeal, Chief Constable Tim Forber overturned the decision, concluding that while his comments had made some people “feel uncomfortable and unsettled”, they did not amount to gross misconduct, and that, had he still been employed by NYP, he would have instead recommended “reflective learning”.
The letter confirmed that Salmons will not be placed on the College of Policing barred list.
Salmons, who now works for a Christian homelessness charity, said the process had taken a heavy personal toll.
“This process devastated me and my family. For months we lived in total uncertainty, with my reputation being shredded in secret,” he said.
“The most frightening moment was being told I was effectively banned from policing for life. I have always served the public with integrity, and to be told that asking honest questions made me unfit to be an officer was crushing.”
He called for change to ensure that questioning Islam is not treated as “wrongthink” within police forces.
“I am pleased to have now reached a settlement, I want to move on with my life but believe radical national change is needed in our police force,” he said.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: “North Yorkshire Police is an inclusive employer and respects the rights of all individuals to their beliefs. The expression of those beliefs must always be with due consideration of respect and courtesy in line with our force values and behaviours framework.”
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said the case highlighted concerns about institutional training culture.
“Luke’s case should concern everyone. It exposes how ‘inclusivity’ training within the police has, in practice, become a vehicle for enforcing a narrow ideological orthodoxy, where only approved views are permitted and lawful questioning is punished,” she said.
“This case demands urgent political attention. It reveals a profound failure of leadership and neutrality within public institutions, and it raises serious questions about whether the Home Office and those responsible for police oversight are willing, or able, to confront the ideological capture that is eroding freedom of belief and expression from within.”
