In February 2024, Gozen Soydag’s contract working for a Catholic school was terminated because of her social media presence espousing a traditional and conservative view of marriage. With Christian Concern she took the school to a tribunal which, on the 14 January 2025 upheld her dismissal. She will be appealing the result.
In 2015 I was working as a mental health lawyer representing some of the most vulnerable members of society detained in psychiatric wards at tribunals. One evening I got a vision during a prayer. The vision was of myself, speaking on a stage with a microphone empowering people to live their best lives through biblical principles and God’s love. That part was believable.
READ MORE: I’m an employment expert and this is how to ask for a pay rise and promotion in a way that means you’re most likely to get it
The strange part was that this was in a secondary school in front of teenagers who we all know are not the easiest crowd to encourage, particularly with traditional values and morals. The good Christian response would have been, a prayer, “Lord, let it be done according to your will.” That wasn’t me. I put it back to God, I declared that if God wanted me to do this, if it was really his will, he had to get me a position as I didn’t want to be a teacher.
Meanwhile, also in 2015 I was single after multiple break-ups and decided to seek God for his plans for me pertaining to marriage.
Meanwhile, also in 2015 I was single after multiple break-ups and decided to seek God for his plans for me pertaining to marriage. Proverbs 18:22 ‘He who finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favour from the Lord’ stood out. I realised that there are character traits of a good wife that can be cultivated before joining with a man. I felt that God wanted to share my journey with others in becoming a wife before I married. Reluctantly, I agreed and started posting on how to heal, know ones worth and value in God, and position in purpose to be the wife one desires to be; Wife in the Waiting on Instagram was birthed.
READ MORE: Why I believe marriage reflects God’s ultimate design
Fast forward to November of 2019, as a church youth leader I was shocked to find out that the London borough I have lived in was one of the worst in youth knife crime. I asked God, “How could I become part of the solution?” In my years as a Christian convert from cultural Islam at the age of 22, I learnt that God partners with individuals to do his work and make an impact in the community around us. Soon-after, I became an Educational Behaviour Specialist working with vulnerable youth in secondary schools.
I become the Year 10 pastor manager, a head of year role at a Catholic girls school.
From that role I become the Year 10 pastor manager, a head of year role at a Catholic girls school. I was excited, this was God. All the terms I asked for which I thought would have been reasons for them to say no, like I wanted to work four days a week not five, as I was doing a counselling course. It turned out to not be an obstacle. The head teacher, who was so pleased with the work I had been doing alongside the school as a behaviour specialist, insisted that, “The school needs you, the girls need you, I need you!”
I loved serving the students in my year group as well as my colleagues, God was moving on our hearts and minds. I would attend to the students needs and lead assemblies to empower them on love, wisdom and friendship, taking principles from the Bible and breaking them down for their application.
READ MORE: ‘What Little House on the Prairie taught me about a godly attitude to sex and marriage’
The first complaint I had received on February 9th 2023 came as a surprise as it was about my social media account, not anything to do with my school work. | was asked to remove a post about a wife talking about submission to her husband, I did not understand, but submitted to the request.
I thought the matter had been dealt with. Three weeks after I was told a complaint had been received from a father who shared that he sends his daughter to school for a 21st Century education, not an 18th Century one. After two more informal meetings with the Associate Head Teacher I was told that my services were no longer needed at the school on the 28th February. My contract had been terminated as my social media presence allegedly went against the schools ethos and mission statement. This had me confused, it was a Catholic school.
I was devastated, in tears, I packed up my things and left without being able to say goodbye to anyone. I did not have the capacity to fight this alone. My prayer was, ‘Lord, I lay this at your feet. I surrender this ordeal to you. However, if you want to fight this, send me a team.’
That is exactly what God did. He connected me with the Christian Legal Centre, and Christian Concern who agreed to legally represent me. They supported me in bringing a claim for discrimination, harassment and human right violations of a right to a religion and a right to free speech. I know that this is God’s fight as they never once came against me, they came against the principles and truth of God that I represented. As Christians we are told to stand, and God will fight for us, and this is what I have done. Devastatingly, the tribunals decision on 14th January has upheld my dismissal, and therefore I will be appealing.
1 Reader's comment