A Christian social media influencer and education specialist is suing St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls in North London after she was allegedly dismissed for supporting Biblical marriage on her personal Instagram accounts.

Gozen Soydag, 37, from Enfield, is pursuing legal action for wrongful dismissal, harassment, discrimination, and breaches of her human rights, claiming her Christian beliefs were the basis for her firing.

Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Soydag, a pastoral manager at the school, had over 30,000 followers on her Instagram accounts, including @wifeinthewaiting, which promotes traditional marriage and the nuclear family.

Despite removing posts that were said to have caused offence, she was allegedly told her views were "incompatible with the school’s ethos".

According to Christian Concern, before her dismissal on her birthday in February 2023, Soydag was never given the chance to explain her beliefs, nor was she provided with a formal written contract, which breached the Employment Rights Act 1996.

The school raised concerns after a parent complained about her views, but Soydag argued that her social media content was aimed at encouraging women, not students at the school.

Soydag, who had been praised for her work at the school, including helping young women in a challenging area of London, believes she was unfairly dismissed due to her Christian beliefs. She is seeking damages for breach of contract, wrongful dismissal, and a declaration under the Equality Act 2010.

The Christian Legal Centre's Tim Dieppe told Premier Christian News the case is "surprising and shocking" and that he believes people "of another faith" would not be treated the same way.

He stressed how "expression of Christian beliefs should never be a context for dismissal".

St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls has been contacted for a comment.