Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin said on Wednesday that an investigation into alleged discrimination against a transgender teacher at a private school in İstanbul was still ongoing.
Tekin was responding to questions from Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmaker Özgül Saki about the case of Zoe Lila, an English teacher who said the school did not renew her contract after pro-government media published her former name, photographs and details about her gender transition.
Saki asked the Education Ministry what specific violations it had identified in Lila’s case and whether being transgender or having undergone a gender transition could prevent someone from working as a teacher. She also asked what protections had been implemented against discrimination and to protect equality and privacy during the investigation.
Tekin said a person’s legally recognized identity or record changes alone were not grounds for preventing them from working as a teacher. He said decisions on teachers were based on legal qualifications, work permits, appointment conditions, professional duties, educational principles, students’ best interests and safety, and compliance with education regulations.
Tekin did not say whether the ministry had found a specific violation in Lila’s case. He said administrative procedures would be carried out when a situation was found to harm the school environment, conflict with students’ developmental needs, violate children’s best interests or violate education regulations.
He also said preventing discrimination and maintaining a safe and supportive school environment were among the Education Ministry’s policies, adding that teachers and school administrators were expected to follow professional ethics and legal requirements.
Lila, who taught at the private Açı Middle School in İstanbul’s Sarıyer district, began her gender transition in 2024 and said the school initially supported her decision to use the name Zoe. She had about 10 years of teaching experience and had worked at the school for five years after graduating from Marmara University’s English teaching program.
The school coordinated with Lila on how to inform teachers, students and parents about her transition, she said. As part of the process, the school psychiatrist held a seminar for parents on gender identity development. Lila attended the seminar anonymously to observe the parents’ reactions and said most were supportive.
Lila later told colleagues and students that she would use the name Zoe. She said the situation changed after pro-government media outlets began publishing details about her gender identity, with A Haber among the outlets that covered the story.
She said school officials later told her they had spoken with officials from the Education Ministry and other government ministries before deciding not to renew her contract for the next academic year. Lila left the school without saying goodbye to her students, she said.
The fallout also affected a guidance counselor who had publicly supported Lila. The colleague was dismissed after school management reportedly said it was under pressure.
Lila said she received threatening messages after the media coverage and temporarily left her home because she feared for her safety. She also said many colleagues and parents continued to support her after the reports were published.
Her lawyer, Furkan Yurt, said the case involved alleged violations of Lila’s privacy, equal treatment and right to employment. He said legal applications had been made to Turkey’s Human Rights and Equality Institution and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, while Lila was also seeking reinstatement through mandatory mediation, a required step before many labor disputes can proceed to court.
The Education Ministry has also questioned teachers about what Lila told students and what school activities covered, according to Lila. She said the inquiry also examined the change of her name in the ministry’s digital education system after her name had been legally changed by a court.
Lila has said she plans to pursue the case through Turkey’s legal system and, if necessary, take it to the European Court of Human Rights.
This article is republished from Turkish Minute.
