A former employee at a City firm is trying to crowdfund £150,000 to mount a legal challenge against his sacking over social media posts.
Dan Cooper was senior HR business partner for CMS Cameron McKenna but was dismissed last year over posts which emerged after he announced he was trying to stand as a Reform UK candidate in council elections.
Cooper said his X handle did not mention his employment but stated he was anti-Islam and believed there are only two genders.
An account dedicated to highlighting the social media activity of Reform members and candidates flagged up a post where he had said Islamophobia was an invented term. Cooper described Islam in this post as a ‘barbaric cult’ and said ‘I don’t fear it, I loathe it.’
In another post, Cooper had said: ‘If you are over 18 and think you are transgender then you have a mental illness. If you are 8 and think you are transgender your parents have a mental illness.’
CMS said it had taken ‘prompt and decisive’ action as soon as the firm learnt about the nature of Cooper’s remarks. The firm added in a statement at the time: ‘The views expressed on their personal social media accounts are their own and do not represent those of the firm. At CMS we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our colleagues and we will be supporting all the individuals affected by this.’
Cooper has now revealed he intends to pursue a legal claim for unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of belief. He said the right to hold and express gender critical beliefs is protected under UK law, as confirmed in the landmark case of Forstater v CGD Europe, and vowed to set a precedent to ensure that those standing for political parties are not treated differently because of their beliefs.
In a crowdfunding page, Cooper said he needs money to cover legal costs following the issue of his claim against CMS in July 2025. His solicitor is Elliot Hammer who represented the Free Speech Union in the Court of Appeal case on free speech, Higgs v Farmor’s School.
A trial date has been allocated for July 2028 and to date the crowdfund has raised £458 of the £150,000 target.
In a statement, Cooper said: ‘Now the trial date has been set down my focus is on making the most of the opportunity to fight for all those who have suffered the indignity of losing their livelihood due to employers who do not believe in the right to free speech and thought in the workplace.’
CMS Cameron McKenna has been approached for comment.
