Christian teacher sues school after being SACKED for sharing her religious beliefs online
A Christian social media influencer is taking legal action against a Catholic girls’ school, claiming she was unfairly dismissed over her biblical marriage beliefs.
Gozen Soydag will face St Annes school at an employment tribunal opening on Tuesday, where she will argue that officials breached equality laws by terminating her position as pastoral manager.
The case centres on her social media posts promoting traditional marriage values, which allegedly conflicted with the school’s ethos.
The 37-year-old influencer, who commands nearly 40,000 Instagram followers, claims she was sacked on her birthday and ordered to leave the premises without pay after her Christian beliefs were censored.
Soydag began her role as pastoral manager for Year 10 students at St Annes two years ago, where her performance was reportedly outstanding.
Her troubles began when she was unexpectedly summoned to meet with the school’s assistant deputy headteacher in 2023.
During this meeting, she was informed that elements of her online social media activity had drawn attention from the school.
She claims this was the first time she learned that all employees were required to keep their social media accounts private and inaccessible to the public.
The school officials expressed particular concern over a video Soydag had posted featuring a Muslim woman discussing her contentment with living in submission to her husband.
The assistant deputy headteacher reportedly suggested that such statements would be considered misogynistic if made by a man.
Soydag’s social media presence featured content promoting traditional nuclear family values and the importance of maintaining purity before marriage.
Her Instagram posts included quotes from the New Testament Epistle to the Ephesians, specifically about wives submitting to their husbands “as to the Lord”.
Despite removing the posts that had initially caused concern, she was called to another meeting two weeks later.
School officials informed her of additional complaints, with one parent reportedly expressing strong disagreement with her expressed beliefs.
The situation culminated in her dismissal, with senior teachers allegedly stating that her “extensive online profile was incompatible with the school’s mission statement and ethos.”
Speaking ahead of the tribunal, Soydag emphasised the apparent contradiction in workplace diversity practices.
“There was so much talk about diversity in the workplace – yet in this instance, my beliefs and who I am as a Christian were completely excluded,” she said.
She argued that if anyone else had expressed their beliefs as part of the inclusive culture, they would have been “celebrated and promoted.”
Soydag stated: “Christians cannot allow people to walk all over the principles that we stand for.”
She added: “No one has to believe what I believe – just because I don’t believe what someone else believes doesn’t mean I can’t respect them or work with them.”
The school has not commented on the case.