TEACHER Enoch Burke will spend Christmas behind bars after he was jailed last month for contempt of court.
A judge at the High Court in Dublin today told Mr Burke that he would no longer receive 'preferential treatment' and would remain behind bars until he purged his contempt of court.
The former teacher at Wilson's Hospital School has previously been released from prison outside term time only to later turn up at the school in breach of court rulings.
Mr Burke was initially suspended by the Co. Westmeath school in 2022 and dismissed from his role in January 2023 in the wake of a disagreement over transgenderism.
When brought back before court last month, the court heard how Mr Burke had been dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct arising out of his refusal to obey a direction of the school that a transgender pupil be referred to as 'they'.
It also heard he was dismissed because of his gross misconduct at a school religious service and other events, as well as the manner in which he conducted his objection to transgenderism.
Despite injunctions restraining Mr Burke from trespassing on the school premises, he has been committed to prison on a number of occasions for contempt of court by breaching the rulings.
Mr Burke pictured at Wilson's Hospital School in August 2023, several months after his dismissal (Image: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie)On each occasion the matter has subsequently come before court, Mr Burke has refused to purge his contempt.
Despite his spells in prison and racking up fines imposed by the court every time he attended the school, now in excess of €200,000, Mr Burke has continued to breach the court orders.
According to RTÉ News, Mr Burke told the court today that he was in jail because he would not tell lies and refused to comply with the school principal's instruction to use a new name and they/them pronouns for a pupil.
However, the judge told Mr Burke that he was not behind bars for his religious beliefs but for failing to obey court orders not to trespass at the school.
The judge added that a planned review of the matter on December 18 would not now proceed and rather than continue to be freed outside of term time, Mr Burke would no longer receive the 'preferential treatment' of being released at Christmas, Easter or during the summer holidays.
The judge added that Mr Burke would only be freed if he purges his contempt by agreeing to stay away from the school.
Meanwhile, a Disciplinary Appeals Panel is due to be convened by the Department of Education on December 13 to hear Mr Burke’s appeal against his dismissal from the school.
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