A teacher who was fired and then jailed over a trans debate involving the pronouns of a student has presented himself for the beginning of a new term, despite being banned from the school.
Enoch Burke was ordered by the court not to enter Wilson's Hospital School in Westmeath, Ireland, last August after he refused to use a transgender pupil’s chosen pronouns.
He had refused to refer to the transitioning student as "they" rather than "he", in defiance of requests from the student and their parents.
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The row led to Burke being suspended by the school board, and later fired over alleged gross misconduct.
But rather than stay at home on paid leave after being suspended, he continued to turn up to work, sitting in an empty classroom. And after he was relieved of his duties, he continued to turn up at the school.
The Irish Times reported that in a ruling in July, Mr Burke was ordered to pay legal costs to the Wilson’s Hospital School in its successful High Court action against him.
A judge also made an order restraining Mr Burke from trespassing on the school premises in the village of Multyfarnham.
And Burke was told he'd have to pay €700 (£600) for each day he ignored the order and showed up at the school, with reports suggesting he now has fines totalling €140,000 (£120,000).
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Even still, Burke – who was jailed last September for contempt and freed after 108 days on December 21 – presented himself at the school on Monday morning (August 28) as the new school term began.
Burke has repeatedly refused to back down and use a gender-neutral pronoun for the student.
“Transgenderism is against my Christian belief,” he said. “It is contrary to the scriptures, contrary to the ethos of the Church of Ireland and of my school.”
After being jailed for contempt of court, he said: “It is insanity that I will be led from this courtroom to a place of incarceration, but I will not give up my Christian beliefs.”
Under Irish law, contempt of court carries an indefinite prison term. In theory, the offender can only be released if they apologise for the contempt, or if a judge finds another reason to end the sentence.
Rosemary Mallon, acting for the school’s board of management, told the judge that her client had no choice but to ask the court to send Burke to prison for breach of a court order.
“It is a coercive order we are seeking, not a punitive order,” she stressed. “We are simply seeking to have Mr Burke comply with the order."
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