Posted on 12/11/2024 10:32:41 AM PST by Morgana
A Christian counselor in England is appearing before an employment tribunal this week, claiming she was wrongfully dismissed by a school over her social media posts on marriage.
The counselor, 37-year-old Gozen Soydag, who worked as a pastoral manager, says her beliefs were deemed "incompatible" with the ethos and mission at St. Anne's Catholic High School for Girls in North London, prompting her dismissal in February 2023.
Soydag, a social media influencer with nearly 40,000 followers across various Instagram accounts, alleges she was terminated after complaints arose about content on her profiles, according to the group Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting her employment tribunal appeal that opened on Tuesday.
Soydag has accused the school of discrimination, harassment and breaches of human rights under the Equality Act 2010.
Soydag's Instagram account, @wifeinthewaiting, promotes the sanctity of marriage and the traditional nuclear family, sharing posts that encourage Christian women to align with biblical teachings.
In one such post, she quoted the New Testament Epistle to the Ephesians, advocating for wives to "submit to your husbands as to the Lord." Another post shared a video featuring a Muslim woman discussing her happiness in submitting to her husband — a video that, according to Soydag, sparked significant concern among school officials.
Soydag says the assistant deputy head told her during a meeting in February 2023 that if similar statements were made by a man, they would be labeled "misogynistic."
Despite immediately removing the video, she was subsequently ordered to ensure her account was inaccessible via Google searches — a demand she explained was technically impossible to meet within the 24-hour timeframe provided.
Soydag's termination occurred shortly thereafter.
In an email, the school reportedly stated her dismissal was due to her "extensive online profile" being "incompatible with the school's mission statement and ethos."
Soydag, however, disputes this reasoning, asserting that her beliefs align with the school's Catholic foundations. St. Anne's mission statement cites values such as treating others fairly and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
"I still do not know what I did wrong to warrant being dismissed," Soydag said in a statement. "I wanted to work in the education sector and make an impact for young people. This was a Catholic school, and they knew I was a passionate woman of faith. The school's building is in the shape of the Cross. Every classroom had a Cross and Bible verses on the walls. This was a place where I believed they accepted Jesus."
Soydag joined the school in September 2022, inspired by its apparent commitment to Christianity, with crosses and Bible verses displayed in classrooms. Initially praised for her "outstanding" work, Soydag was abruptly summoned to a meeting in February 2023, where she was first informed of complaints about her social media activity.
She maintains that her accounts, which she never directed students to, are intended for adult women seeking guidance on Christian principles of marriage.
"My social media channels were about sharing hope through the Word of God, especially for women," she continued. "No one who desires marriage wants a singles ministry! But that is what God gave me. The majority of my adult life I have worked with vulnerable people. I've never had a complaint against me and it has never been suggested that I am a danger to anyone."
The Christian Legal Centre contends that Soydag's dismissal violated the Employment Rights Act 1996, as the school failed to finalize a written contract for her employment before her dismissal. Soydag seeks damages for breach of contract and wrongful dismissal.
CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams calls Soydag's case "another example of schools with a Christian ethos capitulating to secular orthodoxy under pressure."
"Gozen was doing a fantastic job in a tough area of London, supporting young women in a Catholic school, until someone complained about her beliefs expressed in her own time," Williams said.
With so much focus made today on "diversity in the workplace," Soydag questions the authenticity of such efforts.
"[In] this instance, my beliefs and who I am as a Christian were completely excluded. … If this had been anyone else with a belief as part of the 'inclusive' culture, I would have been celebrated and promoted," she said.
AS far as marriage goes, a husband can divorce his wife for any reason he see’s fit and vice versa.
No fault divorce is a feminist success story. You can’t have it both ways.
Agree she deserved to be fired.
Her job was to model her advice on the ethos of the school, NOT on her personal beliefs. She has an absolute right to believe as she does. She does NOT have a right to use her position to imply that her beliefs are universal beliefs or even correct beliefs.
Whatever are the school’s policies are known when the student enters under a parent’s decision. A parent has the right to believe that those beliefs are what are being taught to their children. If the counselor was a witch, everyone would understand that they shouldn’t be spreading that as advice. But far out positions on the other side are not appropriate either.
That’s correct.
But it’s a Catholic School?
“St. Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls in North London”.
I would think that would be in line with a Catholic School, no?
As far as “Civil” marriages go...
Teaching what the Bible states in plain language at a “Christian” catholic school is not “Far out”.
Especially when not done at the school, but on social platforms.
Read Ephesians 5:22-33. Count how many verses are about wives loving and submitting to husbands. Then count how many verses are about husbands loving and caring for their wives like Christ does the church.
I went to a Catholic girls’ high school. I guarantee you that is far out and has NOTHING to do with the Catholicism I knew. I can’t believe even this pope would go for that today.
It depends on what she posted. If she says, I believe. Fine. That’s her right. If she says, people should believe or this is the right way for people to behave, in her position as a counselor, that’s wrong.
It’s positions like that that make people shake their heads and wrongly put all Christians into one pot.
Again, her own beliefs are her right to be expressed as her own beliefs. The school’s beliefs are paramount for an employee. If they aren’t, she should have quit. I’d feel the same way about a witch having the right to her own opinion but not to make that belief known from her counselor’s position.
Absolutely not.
How dare a Christian adhere to Christian values?
/s
She did not use any official position in the school to further her Christian beliefs. She posted on her own time on social media unrelated to the school or her job. She did not recommend or otherwise direct students to her media posts. They were entirely separate from her schools work.
An anonymous complainant reported her to the school.
Islam is right about women?
She’s a counselor. She is TRYING to influence. That CAN’T be separated from her job.
FTA
social media influencer
sharing posts that encourage Christian women to align with biblical teachings.
If it wasn’t a work account, it should be no problem unless you think Christians shouldn’t be allowed to work at a Catholic school.
They tracked her down to get her "cancelled" it is standard practice these days and this was at a "Christian" school.
"She maintains that her accounts, which she never directed students to, are intended for adult women seeking guidance on Christian principles of marriage."
Yes, I agree. The real reason she got cancelled was because she preached the Gospel and in her own time.
So she has no right to her own opinions on her own time...
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