A Victorian tribunal has found Dr. Jereth Kok guilty of professional misconduct—not for treating patients poorly, but for expressing conservative Christian views online. The ruling could lead to full license revocation during a sanctions hearing scheduled in early 2026.
Dr. Kok, a Melbourne-based general practitioner, faced scrutiny over 85 social media posts dating back several years. The tribunal ruled 54 posts violated Australia’s Health Practitioner National Law. These posts included satire from The Babylon Bee, commentary on gender pronouns, criticism of abortion, opposition to COVID‑19 mandates, and views on LGBTQ+ issues.
Among the offending content were shared Babylon Bee headlines, such as “Instead Of Traditional Warfare, Chinese Military Will Now Be Trained To Shout Wrong Pronouns At American Troops,” deemed “derogatory to LGBTQI+ persons” and lacking respect for gender diversity.
The tribunal emphasized that the misconduct finding was unrelated to patient care. No clinical complaints were found against Dr. Kok. Still, the tribunal held that personal social media posts—even those intended as satire or religious commentary—fell outside acceptable professional standards.
Represented by the Christian legal group Human Rights Law Alliance, Dr. Kok asserted his posts were expressions of Christian belief, satirical or political in nature, and did not interfere with patient treatment. He stated regret over some language and affirmed he never disclosed his views to patients.
Family First, a Christian political party, condemned the ruling as a “chilling attack on freedom of speech.” HRLA argued that disciplining a doctor for religious or political expression sets a dangerous precedent for professionals in Australia.
The decision reflects a broader trend in Australian regulation: medical professionals face disciplinary action over off-duty speech. These cases raise concerns among conservatives about eroding free speech protections for religious expression.
The sanctions hearing in early 2026 will determine whether Dr. Kok’s license is fully cancelled. Advocates warn the case could chill speech among Christian health professionals across Australia. Conservative critics argue free speech and religious speech are increasingly being limited, even when clinical performance is unimpaired.
