Teacher Enoch Burke who refused to call trans student ‘they’ likely to be arrested

On Friday, Judge Miriam O’Regan ordered that Mr Burke, who allegedly interrupted a school service and dinner to voice his opposition to its request he address a transgender student with the pronoun “they” and by a different name, be brought to court to answer alleged contempt of its order.

The court made the order after being told on Friday that, in breach of the terms of his paid suspension and the temporary injunction telling him to stay away, Mr Burke was currently “sitting in an empty classroom” in Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.

Mr Burke, who did not appear in court on Friday and was not legally represented, had been made aware of the court’s decision to grant the order for his arrest, counsel for the school said.

The school claims despite being served with and being made aware of the interim injunction, Mr Burke continues to attend at the school.

Counsel said her client remains very concerned about the disruption caused by the teacher’s refusal to abide by the injunction and the terms of his suspension, and is going to court as a “last resort”.

Counsel said Mr Burke had also been made aware of the motion that it could result in his incarceration. It added that despite this Mr Burke remains “knowingly and purposely in breach of the court’s order”.

She added that Mr Burke believes that his suspension is unfair and breaches his constitutional rights and, when approached by senior staff at the school, his reply has been that he “is here to work”.

The teacher was suspended after he interrupted a school commemoration service to voice his opposition to a request by the school principal to address a student, who wishes to change their gender, by a different name and use the pronoun “they” when addressing them.

Mr Burke, who, the court has heard, does not agree with transgenderism, also allegedly approached the principal and continued to loudly voice his opposition to the school’s stance, after she told him she would speak to him at the appropriate time.