Enoch Burke, who was fired by a school in Westmeath following a long legal battle stemming from a row over a transgender student's pronouns, has returned to the school that sacked him on the opening day of term to continue his protest against his dismissal.
Burke, who spent 108 days in jail for contempt of court during the legal battle, was present at Wilson's Hospital School in Westmeath on Monday, August 28, and reportedly entered the school building.
The school dismissed Burke for alleged gross misconduct earlier in the year after a lengthy legal battle.
In August 2022, Burke was suspended on full pay as part of a disciplinary process after he allegedly confronted the school's then-principal Niamh McShane at a school dinner in June of the same year. McShane had sent an email to all staff requesting that they refer to a transgender student as "they/them".
Burke, who is an Evangelical Christian, does not believe in transgenderism and repeatedly objected to McShane's request.
McShane allegedly told Burke that she would be willing to speak to him about the issues but added that the school dinner would not be an appropriate place to have the conversation. However, Burke allegedly followed McShane and began shouting at her, prompting other people present at the dinner to stand between them to prevent Burke from continuing the confrontation.
The school obtained an injunction against Burke in August 2022 after he continued to attend the school despite being placed on administrative leave.
Burke was subsequently jailed in September for breaching a court order that prevented him from attending the school while a disciplinary process was carried out. He also refused to purge his contempt of court.
Burke was released from prison shortly before Christmas last year despite continuing to refuse to purge his contempt of court.
High Court judge Mr. Justice Brian O'Moore said he ordered his release as he believed Burke was "exploiting his imprisonment for his own ends".
However, Burke continued to defy the court order after his release by showing up at the school when term resumed in January. He was fined €700 every day that he attended the school and accrued fines of €88,900 before the end of the academic year in June, according to the Irish Independent.
In July, the High Court ordered Burke to pay legal costs to Wilson's Hospital School. Delivering the ruling, Mr. Justice Alexander Owens also issued an order preventing Burke from trespassing on the premises of the school, although the order does not prevent Burke from standing outside the school gates.
Burke has now reportedly accrued fines of over €140,000 during the lengthy legal battle, including the daily fines of €700, €15,000 in damages to Wilson's Hospital School for trespassing, and the school's legal fees.
Burke previously described the fines he has accrued as "oppression".
In May, the High Court ruled that Wilson's Hospital School behaved lawfully when it suspended Burke last year. The court also dismissed Burke's claims that the disciplinary process against him was in breach of his constitutional rights.
Burke denies the school's allegation of gross misconduct and is currently appealing the verdict of a disciplinary hearing that resulted in his dismissal from the school earlier in the year.
He has repeatedly claimed that the instruction issued by McShane concerning the use of a student's pronouns infringed on his rights to religious freedom and expression.
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