Zelda de Groen

London Teacher Wins Lawsuit Against Chabad School

A teacher at a Chabad nursery school in suburban London who said she was fired for living with her boyfriend won her lawsuit in which she accused the school of discrimination.

From the JTA:

Zelda de Groen, 24, sued the Gan Menachem Nursery in Hendon after losing her job in July 2016. She had worked there for four years.

On Friday, the Watford Employment Tribunal said that de Groen’s experience with the school was “undoubtedly humiliating, degrading and offensive.” It dismissed the school’s claims that it was justified in firing her.

The tribunal will hold an additional hearing at an undetermined date to discuss compensation. In her lawsuit, de Groen had asked for more than $26,000.

Click here to continue reading at the JTA.

39 Comments

  • Anonymous

    What is going on???? Chabad is sooo not like that I think she made it all up jst to make some money we all know that Chabad is known for their open mind and Abavat Yisrael and if she suffered for sooo long why did she stay there for 4 years dsnt make sense?!?!

    • I’m for the girl!

      “Chabad” is good but when people that peep into other people’s private life that is a problem! No one has a right to call other people on their private Avairos as if they don’t do avairos in their own private life. Shame on them and you can search her Facebook page she seams to have good essence and neshama

    • Milhouse

      No one has a right to call other people on their private Avairos

      The Torah says the opposite. And it’s impossible for someone who publicly lives an immoral life to educate Jewish children al taharas hakodesh. Her very presence in the classroom conveys to the children a message opposite to its mission

  • A British saying

    When a soccer player does something that impacts negatively on his team, it’s called “bringing the game into disrepute” and the player may well be fired.

    This woman did just that, by flouting the morals & ethics of the school. The reason she won is very simple: it is much more satisfying to find for a someone non-religious than for a religious, Jewish institution.

    I hope the school can appeal.

    • Huh?!

      Attitude and approach is a personal thing. The folks who kicked her out may just be people with their own approach even if Chabad approach is not to do such.

      Stating the obvious, almost all of the people here do not know the facts – including myself.

    • To Milhouse

      What? The rebbe said?!?! You make up things all the time…! Every Chabad school I know have non religious and even goyim helping in preschool …! She wasn’t hired to teach bocherim samach vov! You dont know the details of this case however from what we are both reading it’s a shame what the school did for what she does in her private life.

    • Milhouse

      I have no idea what you’re talking about, since I haven’t yet mentioned the Rebbe, but now that you brought it up, yes, the Rebbe’s instructions were very clear. Lubavitcher schools are not to hire Jewish teachers who are not shomer mitzvos, for any subject. And the reason is obvious.

  • wrbbq

    did she make this up because she didnt work up to their standards? Because Chabad would not usually do that. thats weird.

  • Crown heights

    So what if she is living with her boy friend
    What is it got to do with the school.
    It’s none of there business they don’t have to be in her own personal life.

    • what

      what will have happened if she converted
      and came to school with a hijab would you still say is her personal life?
      she still teaching Ydishkeit!!

    • Dov

      Maybe if a teacher is chas vsholom mechallel shabbos you would also say mind your own business
      They have their own children there it is there business

    • Are you really for real?

      Except she flaunted her relationship. And the Rebbe says that teachers in his Chabad schools have to be from. And this woman is anything but.

  • Lesson learned

    Maybe this can be a wake-up call for institutions to mind their own buisness.

    • To “are you for real”

      She “flaunted her relationship “ what the … does that mean? sounds like ur flaunting your mouth

  • jdf007

    “so what if…”
    Ever notice that people who want to openly flout rules and live “openly” in whatever way they choose, just about always have multiple viewpoints and lifestyles they try to push on everyone in some manner or other?
    From the fact that she’s open about a certain lifestyle, and is suing based off of it, I would guess her beliefs do not end here.
    What else will everybody else be forced to endure and accept next?

  • motti

    School was RITE!!!

    If she grew up in America, & is American, no wonder why she suede…..(its the American mentality)……CRAZY AMERICANS!!!

    • Milhouse

      On the contrary, in America her suit would have been dismissed the day she brought it (Hosanna-Tabor v EEOC). In America the constitution protects freedom of religion, in the UK it does not.

  • Yankel Todres

    If they want to implement these standards, to protect the young impressionable students, they need to protect themselves too. They obviously need a good lawyer to go over their employment contracts, and or their official employment handbook and procedures. If the terms of employment (including morals clauses) are properly delineated in these handbooks, the employee should not be able to sue if she’s fired for cause.

  • Moishe pipek

    Good luck to her! People have to be treated in a humane way. This is not a religious issue.

    • Milhouse

      There’s nothing inhumane about being fired from a job that is inherently incompatible with ones chosen lifestyle.

  • Michael

    She was living in the school with the boy friend? Some teachers in Argentina are not Jewish in Canada and we don’t ask what the do outside or at night. Mmmmmm something is wrong!!

  • C

    Unfortunately the article is, as they usually are, one sided. She was not hired back in a very respectful way.She behaved abominably. She broke her contract many times and literally flaunted her lifestyle ways that go against everything we try to teach our children. Bringing up children in today’s times is hard enough without our own teachers not living by example. Kol HaKovod to the school and directors for trying to keep the school a good example of Yiddishkeit.

    • Milhouse

      It couldn’t happen. All teachers at religious schools are ministers, and not subject to the equal employment laws.

  • Fiona

    Every word is true
    The Tribunals in U.K. are exquisitely fair
    She will get substantial compensation
    Mismanaged by inexperience
    With devastating results

  • The kangeroo

    Great news! Nobody has a right to humiliate and degrage others.This not a religious issue .All you zealots eat your heart out.

  • Fantastic

    She got fired for having a boyfriend. Well done to Zelda for winning her lawsuit. As if the people involved in her sacking are all picture perfect! I think not!!

    • Milhouse

      You’re nuts. How is it appropriate for such a person to teach? It’s not so long ago that even public schools would fire a teacher for such a blatant offence, and you think the Rebbe’s schools should have lower standards than that?!

  • if she gets the money

    She will never enjoy a penny of that money.
    There is a higher authority and a very patient one.
    She may end up with the thousands she is asking for but cars break down – boilers do too. Roof can leak etc etc.
    I am sorry to say she will not have pleasure from this money.
    She made a terrible chillul Hashem.
    I bet she will be suing her husband soon.

  • To 34. Millhouse

    My daughter is an amazing teacher. The children get excellent exam results. She has a boyfriend.

    • Milhouse

      What have exam results got to do with it? Since when is a school’s purpose to produce good exam results? A school’s purpose is to produce good people, and your daughter’s existence as a teacher at her school undermines that purpose; she should be fired.

  • Milhouse was fired

    Milhouse was probably fired for watching stuff online at a school on a schools computer. What’s why he’s always online making comments like a nuckle Head. I would rather have a girl with good midos teaching my Child and has a boy friend, then a “oh so so Frum” nuckle head like you! Or for the same token, the people whom you admire

  • To 38

    Thank you. Pretty jawdropping to read that comment from 37 Milhouse, regarding the education of children. Your word nucklehead is most appropriate! His views are very worrying and disturbing. Hope he is not a teacher!