Dan Cooper, a former senior HR business partner at global law firm CMS, has initiated a £400,000 employment claim after his dismissal in March 2025 following a series of controversial social media posts. Cooper, who previously stood as a Reform UK candidate, alleges he was unlawfully discriminated against for his political views, specifically regarding Islam and transgender rights.

The firm, which employs around 9,000 people worldwide, parted ways with Cooper after his posts on the social media platform X drew significant criticism. Among the contentious remarks, Cooper described Islam as a “7th century barbaric cult” and expressed disdain for the religion. He also made statements regarding transgender individuals and made unsubstantiated allegations about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In one interaction, he referred to MP Zarah Sultana as a “race baiting, uneducated stun on this country.”

Cooper claims his posts reflect what he terms “Islam-critical” and “gender-critical” beliefs, which he argues should be protected under the Equality Act 2010. He contends his dismissal was a violation of his right to freedom of expression within the workplace. His case is scheduled to be heard at an employment tribunal in July 2028.

This lawsuit follows earlier rulings where courts acknowledged that critical views on Islam and transgender issues could constitute protected beliefs. Notably, in 2021, tax expert Mayo Forstater was found to have been discriminated against for her trans-critical views at a think tank. Similarly, in 2025, an employment tribunal recognized criticism of Islam as a protected belief in a case involving actuary Patrick Lee.

Cooper, who also described himself as a “wellbeing ambassador” on his LinkedIn profile, previously planned to stand as a Reform UK candidate in the Boston borough council elections. However, the party suspended his membership and stated he would no longer be considered a candidate following the controversy surrounding his online statements.

Charles Currier, chairman of CMS, said the firm took “decisive action” after becoming aware of Cooper’s remarks and clarified that his views did not represent those of the company.

In a crowdfunding campaign to support his legal claim, Cooper emphasized that his criticism targets the ideology of Islam, not individual Muslims. He argued that his posts were part of political campaigning conducted outside of work and expressed frustration over losing his career as a result.

CMS declined to comment further on the ongoing legal proceedings.