Judges in Haarlem have banned four mothers from calling an Islamic primary school in Zaanstad a ‘terrorist’ school.

The school authorities went to court in an effort to stop parents who support Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan from using social media to say the school supports Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen. Ankara blames Gülen from this summer’s failed military coup.

Some 150 children have been pulled out of the De Roos school since the online campaign against it started. A number of teachers have also left and the school has lost a large amount of its funding.

People who press ahead with saying the school supports terrorism face a fine of €1,000 with a maximum of €10,000. However, parents can continue to describe the school as a Gülen school and do not have to give up their Whatsapp group, the court said in its ruling.

The school board denies it has any connection with the Gülen movement.