Zelda de Groen is suing the nursery school after she was sacked (Picture: instagram)

A teacher is suing a ultra-orthodox Jewish nursery school after she claimed she was sacked because parents complained she was living with her boyfriend.

Zelda de Groen told an employment tribunal that she was subjected to an hour-long ‘humiliating’ interview by her bosses at Gan Menachem Nursery, Hendon, in which she was told she should be married at 23.

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A month earlier the now married 24-year-old had attended a barbecue with her boyfriend, as well as parents and other teachers and had told the nursery’s founder Mendy Freundlich she was living with her partner in Pimlico.

She told the employment tribunal that she had previously changed her address with her employer and that other teachers and parents she was friendly with were aware she was living with her partner.




But a month later she was subjected to an hour-long interview with headteacher Miriam Lieberman and nursery manager Dina Toron where she claims she was asked about her life choices, including her decision to live with him.

She claims she was subjected to an hour-long interview about her life choices (Picture: Instagram)

She underwent a disciplinary procedure and was sacked four weeks later for bringing the nursery into disrepute.

She is now suing them for religious and sex discrimination, seeking more than £20,060 in compensation.

She said: ‘During the meeting, which lasted for around an hour, Mrs Toron and Mrs Lieberman subjected me to a continuous personal attack on my life choices, including, particularly, my decision to live with my partner.

‘They started the meeting by saying that it had come to their attention and they needed to ask whether it was true that I was living with a man.

‘I was shocked by their question and said that I didn’t feel comfortable with what they were asking and the way they were asking.’

She said she felt ‘scared’ and their tone was ‘threatening’ and that she ‘was subjected to the worldview of my two managers’.

She added: ‘They told me that it is not allowed to live with another person prior to marriage and that to do so is against what people in our workplace should do.

‘I was told that having kids outside of marriage is wrong and will not be tolerated in our workplace.

‘Their comments, and the personal nature of the meeting, were humiliating for me.’

The tribunal heard during her employment Ms de Groen knew she was had to comply with the ‘nursery’s ultra-orthodox teaching and rules while at work’.

But she said: ‘My personal life had no influence on my performance and teaching with the children, evidently.

‘What Mrs Toron and Mrs Lieberman were asking me about was entirely separate to my work at the nursery and I felt their questions and the way they put them to me were intrusive, abusive and humiliating.’

The witness claimed during the meeting they said at the age of 23 ‘she should be married’ and remembers them saying ’23 is a big number. Don’t you want to get married? Why not? Do you have a problem with it?’ I was super-mortified by this.’



But the nursery denies saying she needed to be married by 23 and claims the tone of the meeting was not the same as that portrayed by her.

They say that she knew her situation would be frowned upon and that her co-habiting status should not have been put in the school’s domain.

Ms de Groen had worked at the nursery for four years, teaching children aged two and three from traditional orthodox Jewish backgrounds and had been promoted to class team leader.

The tribunal heard she met her partner Oz Waknin in January 2016 and they started dating, before moving in together in April.

She notified the nursery of her change of address and said some of her colleagues knew they were living together.

She said: ‘No one that knew we were living together, including some parents of children at the nursery that I am friends with outside of work, expressed any concern at or disapproval of our living situation.’

Two days after the meeting she demanded an apology but was handed a letter notifying her of disciplinary proceedings.

The disciplinary meeting took place on July 26 in Ms de Groen’s absence due to illness and the next day she was informed her contract would be terminated.

The nursery claim that she had refused to engage with the disciplinary process.

She said she was saddened and upset by the sacking, addimg: ‘I felt that I was being punished in my professional life for a private and personal issue that was entirely separate to my work for the nursery.’


The Gan Menachem Nursery has denied any discrimination and say they acted on the recommendation of their HR company. The case was reserved for judgement.

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