A Christian teacher who refused to use gender-neutral pronouns is back in jail after refusing to remain away from school.
Enoch Burke, an evangelical Christian, was remanded to Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison after violating a court order not to teach at Wilson’s Hospital School in Co. Westmeath.
His school advised him to remain away after he was suspended on full pay in August for refusing to address a transitioning pupil as ‘them’ rather than ‘he,’ claiming his ardent Christian convictions against transgenderism.
Mr. Burke disobeyed the order and was arrested for attending school.
At Dublin’s High Court today, Mr. Burke, who was representing himself, insisted that he was being persecuted for his faith.
He’ll have a High Court hearing at a later date. Until then, he’ll remain in detention unless he agrees to avoid the school.
When questioned in court if he would follow the injunction, he answered, ‘I can’t.’ Always a law-abiding person, I return to jail. First, God.
Mr. Burke also failed to get his school suspension overturned, arguing that his opposition to transgenderism was founded on his religious conviction and that freedom of religion and conscience is protected by the Irish constitution.
Enoch Burke, an evangelical Christian, spent more than a week in Dublin’s Mounjoy jail after refusing to obey a teaching order. Pictured: Mr. Burke appeared in Dublin’s High Court on September 7.
Mr. Burke told the court, ‘The question isn’t if I’ll purge my contempt, but how this court order was granted.’
‘The court wants me to purify my contempt, yet it’s violated my constitutional rights. The court erred. How can I forgive wrongdoing?
Judge Eileen Roberts disagreed with his reasoning and escorted the History and German teacher to prison to loud cheers from the public gallery with many chanting, ‘The country is with you Enoch.’
Dozens of them shouted ‘disgrace’ and’shame’ after the judge’s judgment. Others abused Mr. Burke’s counsel. Others wore t-shirts outside the court demanding his release.
Mr. Burke’s parents, brother Isaac and sister Ammi, a lawyer, were in court and watched him leave.
Barrister Rosemary Mallon, defending the school, said Mr. Burke has no plans to renounce his contempt. He’s applying for release without purifying his contempt.
If his application is accepted, he’ll be back in class the next day.
Mr Burke told Judge Eileen Roberts that his opposition to transgenderism is founded on his religious views and that the school’s actions violated the Irish constitution, which provides freedom of expression and religion.
He said, “There’s no restriction on the content’s political correctness.”
“This attacks my free speech, conscience, liberty, and reputation.”
Mr Burke was suspended from Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath for refusing to address a transitioning student as ‘they’ rather than ‘he’ as requested by the kid and their parents in May and agreed to by the Church of Ireland school.
Recalling his protest of the school’s edict on using the pronoun ‘them’ in June 2022, he stated: ‘I claimed this was antithetical to scripture and the teachings of all churches.’ My transgender views are religious.
‘The school’s conduct against me is illogical, unfair, unjust, and illegal. Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and religion.
Ms. Mallon told the court that Mr. Burke was only to fault for being in prison and that he would’return to the classroom’ if his suspension was reversed.
She argued that Mr. Burke was locked up for violating a court order, not his ideas on transgenderism.
Ms Mallon responded, ‘His imprisonment is Mr. Burke’s problem.
Mr Burke disobeyed the court’s directives. Burke won’t remove his scorn. If permitted, he’ll return to class. Burke wants this.
‘That would cause school and student disruption. No more disturbances.
Mr. Burke’s school disciplinary process has been suspended, and a High Court trial will decide his destiny.
Mr. Burke’s school disciplinary process has been suspended, and a High Court trial will decide his destiny.
Mr Buke said Ireland’s High Court he had suffered’reputational damage’ and’significant damage to my teaching career’ when his Westmeath school suspended him after he refused to acknowledge a transitioning student as ‘they’
Mr Burke, who has spent more than a week in Dublin’s Mountjoy jail for contempt of court, told the judge today that continuing the disciplinary process would be ‘unconscionable and against natural justice and fair procedure’
Mr Burke, a history and German teacher, was suspended from Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath for refusing to call a transitioning student as ‘they’ rather than ‘he’ as requested by the student and their parents in May.
Mr. Burke was detained last Monday for violating a court order not to teach or be present at the school.
The teacher rejected paid leave and sat in an empty classroom, claiming he was working.
Mr. Burke appeared in Ireland’s High Court to protest the school’s decision to suspend him, alleging there is no legal basis for the suspension.
He urged Ms. Justice Eileen Roberts for injunctions barring the school from placing him on administrative leave or taking any further measures in their internal disciplinary procedure pending a full hearing about the lawfulness of such a process.
Mr. Burke argues his constitutional rights to freedom of conscience and religious belief were violated.
If the judge agrees with Mr. Burke’s arguments, he’ll be released from prison. The school board opposes his application.
Mr Burke came before the High Court last week and said that obeying the injunction that banned him from teaching would ‘violate my religious convictions and deny my God’
Mr Burke told the judge last week, ‘I may be a Christian in Mountjoy Prison or a pagan transgender acceptor outside.’
Mr. Burke told the court he won’t follow the order.
He told the court, ‘If this court decides, I would never leave Mountjoy Prison if leaving would violate my conscience and religion and deny God.’
‘I can be a Christian in Mountjoy Prison or a pagan and transgender rights supporter outside. I’m home.
God will help me stay there because of my faith.
He told the court he’d answer the same way ‘every hour of every day for the next 100 years’
Mr Burke said, “This court wants to take away my religion.”
He claimed he was being persecuted for opposing transgenderism and that the court was taking away his liberty and dignity.
‘I have had much time to consider my actions and behavior that brought me to that place, and far from finding any instances of misconduct, let alone gross misconduct, I only found my actions to be commendable and that I had the courage to tell the principal that transgender was an abuse of children and a breach of my constitutional rights to free expression of religious beliefs.’
He informed the court that his sentence was ‘contrary to God’s work’
The instructor was suspended from his Westmeath school for refusing to address the student as ‘they’ rather than ‘he’ as requested by the student and their parents in May and agreed to by the Church of Ireland school.
Mr. Burke said the principal’s ‘demands’ made him transsexual.
He stated this demand ‘deprived’ him of his religion.
‘I can’t do that, it’s against my religion and the Bible,’ he said.
‘I consider my activities commendable because I obey God over man.
Our constitution allows my religious conviction that there are two genders.
It ensures religious freedom.
“This court can’t deprive me of my religion, my dignity, or my confidence in God,” he said.
Barrister Rosemary Mallon, counsel for the school’s board of management, said Mr. Burke’s comments make it’very evident’ he won’t follow the court ruling.
She said he deliberately disobeyed the order.
She argued the school had no choice but to sue when he kept attending.
Ms. Mallon stated transgenderism wasn’t involved.
She claimed she filed the injunction because Mr. Burke ignored the decision to suspend him on full pay pending the disciplinary meeting.
The court was told the case qualifies for prohibitory interlocutory relief and damages are insufficient.
The school principal reportedly had’serious concerns’ about Mr. Burke’s behavior.
Not about his beliefs. Ms Mallon said it’s not about his views, but his alleged behavior.
She argued his paid administrative leave was legal and prevented him from attending school.
Ms. Mallon continued, stating that Mr. Burke is seeking the court to interfere with the disciplinary process.
Mr Burke wants the court to stop the suspension. Let me teach’
This court shouldn’t interfere so early in the disciplinary procedure, the judge said.
Mr Justice Max Barrett continued the interlocutory injunction and said the issue wasn’t transgenderism.
Enoch Burke was arrested for disobeying a court order not to teach or be present at his Westmeath school.
Mr. Burke was sent to Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison on Monday after violating a court order to remain away from the school.
Judge Michael Quinn’s order last week prompted Mr. Burke to say, ‘It’s insane that I’ll be escorted to prison, but I won’t give up my Christian convictions.’
Mr. Burke told Judge Michael Quinn, “I’m a teacher and don’t want to go to jail.” I wanted to be in my classroom when I got detained this morning.
‘I adore my school, with its Res Non Verba motto, but I’m here today because I said I wouldn’t call a boy a girl,’ he added.
Transgenderism is against his Christian beliefs, he said. It’s against the Bible, Church of Ireland, and my school’s culture.
Mr Burke said of his suspension, ‘It’s extraordinary and disgusting that religious views might be used to allege misconduct.’
My faith isn’t wrong. They’re not egregious. Never. We’re close. I won’t deny or betray them, and I won’t obey an order to do so. That’s impossible.
His suspension was ‘unreasonable, unjust, and unfair’ ‘Suspension’s seriousness has been diluted,’ he continued. It’s important.
“It’s tainted my good character and good repute, especially as a teacher, who is so close to many members of the community. It stains my otherwise spotless teaching record.
He wondered how he could return to school and bow to what he thought to be’manifestly wrong’ Mr Burke told the court that he feared teachers were being compelled to use the pronoun ‘they’ instead of ‘he’ or’she’
Enoch Burke said Judge Quinn, “I’m a teacher and I don’t want to go to jail.” I want to be in my classroom today, where I was arrested.
Rosemary Mallon BL, for the board of management, told Judge Michael Quinn that her client had no choice but to ask for Burke’s jail time.
Judge Quinn said he wasn’t commenting on Mr. Burke’s religious beliefs or suspension, but on an intentional breach of a court order.
He’s in Dublin’s Mountjoy prison.
Martina Burke home-schooled all 10 of her children, including the suspended teacher.
She advertises Burke Christian School in Castlebar.
The Burkes from Mayo have protested abortion and marriage equality.
Some family members were involved in high-profile legal disputes, including a religious discrimination appeal.
During the pandemic, the family opposed Mayo University Hospital.
The religious family reportedly resisted gay marriage and Castlebar’s Gay Pride celebration.
Mrs. Burke called LGBT+ training for school leaders “amoral” four years ago, saying it would stigmatize modesty and inhibitions.
Ammi, Enoch, Isaac, and Kezia Burke lost a gay marriage case against University of Galway last year.
Mother-of-10 Martina Burke created Burke Christian School in Castlebar.
Kezia, Enoch, Isaac, and Ammi Burke outside Dublin’s Four Courts in 2021. The siblings fought religious persecution then.
After spreading anti-gay marriage fliers, they were banned for life.
The siblings alleged religious discrimination, but the college said the ban was not religious.
The Burkes protested outside Enda Kenny’s constituency office during Ireland’s abortion referendum, the tabloid said.
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