'Swift action' | Major law firm sacks HR partner over controversial trans & Islam tweets

An HR partner has been sacked after posting a series of tweets on topics such as transgender rights, Islam, and the war in Ukraine.

Dan Cooper was a senior HR business partner at CMS, the world’s fifth largest law firm by headcount. He had worked for the major law firm for around 12 years but, after an investigation into his social media activity, has now been dismissed.

Cooper also claimed to be running as a Reform UK candidate in an upcoming Lincolnshire council election in May, but has now had his party membership suspended following the controversy.

Of particular note were tweets stating “I hate Islam” and describing the religion as “7th century barbaric cult.”

Read more from us

Guidance changes | It's OK to exclude some trans women from 'women only' jobs, says equality watchdog

Further posts on trans issues included: “If you are over 18 and think you are transgender then you have a mental illness. If you are eight and think you are transgender your parents have a mental illness.”

Another tweet branded Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky a “coke addict”.

Cooper’s tweets were brought to his employer’s attention by the X account “Reform Party UK exposed”, prompting his sacking. The law firm sports a series of inclusion policies such as gender-neutral toilets and dress codes. 

“We took prompt and decisive action as soon as we learnt about the nature of the individual’s offensive remarks on social media,” a CMS spokesperson said.