Christian teacher sacked after views on marriage compared to Andrew Tate

After her traditional marriage beliefs were compared to Andrew Tate's, a Christian school counselor was fired, according to an employment tribunal, Daily Dazzling Dawn understand.

Gozen Soydag says she was fired from her position as pastoral manager because she shared a video that senior staff members deemed "provocative," "misogynistic," and "promotes 18th-century teaching." At St Anne's Catholic High School for Girls in north London, the 37-year-old was the pastoral head of year when she posted a video titled "King of My Life."The video features a headscarf-wearing woman who talks about married life, how she will do everything her husband asks of her, and how she will "obey" him since he is her "boss" and "number one." The video was likened to that created by Mr. Tate, and when other parents complained, her supervisors ordered her to remove it and make her social media accounts private before firing her.Mr Tate rose to fame as a YouTube star and describes himself as “the king of toxic masculinity”. He is under house-arrest in Romania on suspicion of rape and trafficking; he denies the allegations.

Ms Soydag, who has more than 30,000 followers across various Instagram accounts, said she believes submission in marriage is “beautiful” and that wives should “submit to their husbands as to the Lord”.Now, she is suing for wrongful dismissal, harassment, discrimination and breaches of her human rights on the grounds of her Christian beliefs.The tribunal in Watford, Hertfordshire, was told the pastoral worker, who also has a law degree, began working at the school in September 2022.

The “influencer” ran a “ministry” account called @‌wifeinthewaiting which she has run monetised courses for and promotes the institution of marriage and the importance of the traditional nuclear family.

In January 2023, Miss Soydag reposted a video of a woman who appears to be Muslim, which was played to the panel.

In it, she says: “My husband is my boss. My husband is number one. My husband tells me ‘Hey, sit down’, I’ll sit down. If he tells me I can’t go out with my friends, I’m not going to go out with my friends.

The woman went on to say: “That’s a message for everyone out there. Love and cherish the king in your life.”

Miss Soydag posted it along with the caption “Many will see a woman in a headscarf and think she may be a slave or a maid to her husband”.However, she added “but what I see is a powerful woman who chooses to honour a man that loves her and a man who she follows wherever and whatever he asks her. What are you willing to do or be for your King who loves you and cherishes you?”

It was heard that parents had complained about the posts, with one father stating he wanted his daughter to get a modern education, “not an 18th century one”.

At a meeting with the school’s associate headteacher, Jo Sanders, Ms Soydag claims she was told if a man had posted the video it would be “misogynistic” and that it was “provocative like Andrew Tate.”

Ms Soydag was eventually sacked in February 2023 after being told to delete the posts and make her accounts private.

Ms Soydag said she did not agree with the woman in the video “entirely”, but posted it to “provoke thought” amongst her followers.

The counsellor – who is single – insisted the “pinnacle” of her existence is not marriage and she does not “worship” the idea of it.

Representing Miss Soydag, Michael Philips of Christian Concern, said: “This is a case which turns entirely on social media.

“She is the equivalent of a street preacher but she is on social media – this is her pulpit. By saying she cannot speak in those ways they are unlawfully seeking to curtail her Article 9 and 10 rights.”

He pointed out the significance of her posts had occurred outside of school hours with no links to her employment there.

St Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls said Ms Soydag’s discrimination claim did not “get off the ground” because she was told to delete the posts and make her accounts private.

The hearing continues.