Enoch Burke
| Enoch Burke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland |
| 🎓 Alma mater | NUI Galway[1] |
| 💼 Occupation | Activist, author, teacher |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | Martina Burke Sean Burke |
| 👪 Relatives | Burke family |
Enoch Burke is an Irish conservative activist. He is a member of the Burke family. A family of evangelical Christians known for their high-profile court cases in the Republic of Ireland.[2]
In June 2022, Burke was suspended from Wilson's Hospital School, a Church of Ireland co-educational boarding school in County Westmeath, where he was employed as a teacher, and subsequently, on 30 August, the school was granted a High Court interim injunction preventing him from either being on school grounds or teaching classes there for the duration of his suspension. After he kept showing up to the school, he was dismissed from his position on 23 January 2023. He returned and stood outside the school again on 25 January.[3] On 26 January, Judge O'Moore imposed a fine of €700 a day with effect from 2pm on 27 January if Burke continues to attend the school.[4][5]
Personal life
Enoch, along with the rest of his family, were home-schooled. Enoch holds two bachelor's degrees (one in theological studies, the other in history and politics) as well as a master's degree in education.[6]
Suspension and dismissal from teaching
In June 2022, Enoch Burke was suspended from Wilson's Hospital School, a Church of Ireland co-educational boarding school in County Westmeath, where he was employed as a teacher, and subsequently, on 30 August, the school was granted a High Court interim injunction preventing him from either being on school grounds or teaching classes there for the duration of his suspension.
The issue arose when both the school and the parents of a transgender student who wanted to transition requested that they/them pronouns be used for the student, along with their new name. At a church service attended by staff, clergy, pupils, parents, and board members, Burke interrupted the proceedings by voicing his objections to addressing the student as "they", and objected to the school acknowledging the student's transition. He also objected to transgender identity more broadly. After a subsequent meal, Burke pursued the school's principal, repeatedly questioning her on the issue. Having told him that she would address the issue with him at a later date, she then went to walk away from him, but he followed her, continuing to press the issue, until other people present intervened. As a result of this behaviour, Burke was suspended, pending a disciplinary review.[7] Following his suspension, however, Burke continued to arrive at school premises, leading to the school seeking the interim injunction seeking to prevent him from teaching or attending the premises.[7]
On 1 September, it was reported that Burke had allegedly breached the injunction, and that a further court order had been sought by the school, which could result in Burke being jailed for contempt of court unless he agreed to abide by the terms of the interim injunction.[8] Burke failed to appear at the High Court as required, on 2 September, and judge Miriam O'Regan granted an order for Burke's arrest as a result of his non-compliance with the injunction.[9] On 5 September, Burke was arrested after arriving at the school premises in spite of the injunction. He was remanded to Mountjoy Prison for contempt of court.[10][11] On a further appearance before the High Court on 7 September, Burke declined the opportunity to purge his contempt; judge Max Barrett remanded him in custody at Mountjoy Prison for a further week and awarded costs against him.[12] Burke said that he would rather stay in prison "every hour of every day for the next 100 years" than comply. He also said that being transgender contradicts scripture and that he would "only obey God" and "not obey man".[13]
On 4 October, it was reported that Burke had lodged an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the injunction and had sought orders including one preventing the school from continuing both his paid administrative leave and the disciplinary process against him, and another preventing the school from dismissing him from his position.[14] On 9 October, the Irish Independent reported that Burke had been moved to a new jail cell for his own safety, after repeatedly expressing his outspoken views to other prisoners.[15] The Irish Times subsequently reported that Burke alleged that he had been defamed in the Irish Independent article, and was seeking an order banning its republication.[16] On 14 October, Martina Burke was removed from the courtroom after accusing the judge of corruption and colluding with the judges of the High Court. On the same day, Ammi Burke refused to apologise to the court for continually interrupting proceedings.[17] On 13 December, appearing in court via a video link from Mountjoy Prison, Enoch Burke again refused to purge his contempt. He requested Mr Justice Conor Dignam to release him from custody, telling the court that he was "not a thief, a murderer or a drug dealer" and was behind bars because of his religious objections to "transgenderism". The judge refused his request, as Burke was not prepared to purge his contempt or to stay away from Wilson's Hospital School until the conclusion of the disciplinary process.[18]
On 21 December, while the school was closed for Christmas holidays, Burke was released from prison following a ruling by Judge Brian O'Moore, and was informed that he would remain at liberty unless he breached other existing orders (such as the one preventing his attendance at school while suspended). The judge said "it was difficult to avoid the conclusion that Mr Burke was exploiting his imprisonment for his own ends" and that "The only plausible interpretation of Mr Burke's actions is that he sees some advantage in his continuing imprisonment, otherwise he would have either avoided his jailing or taken the opportunity to bring it to an end." O'Moore cited the cost to the public and the desire to "not enable somebody found to be in contempt of court to garner some advantage from that defiance" as reasons to release Burke from imprisonment.[19]
On 5 and 6 January, Burke reappeared at the school.[20][21] The Gardaí said "An Garda Síochána are aware of the matters as highlighted. As these matters refer to a civil order, An Garda Síochána has no role at this time."[20]
The full disciplinary hearing into Burke's behaviour took place on 19 January at the Mullingar Park Hotel, with Gardaí being called as the meeting was disrupted by the Burke family. Burke was formally dismissed from his teaching role on 20 January. Despite the termination of his employment, Burke entered the school premises twice on 24 January, and was arrested under the Public Order Act.[22][23] He returned and stood outside the school again on 25 January.[24] On 26 January, Judge O'Moore imposed a fine of €700 a day with effect from 2pm on 27 January if Burke continues to attend the school.[25]
Bibliography
- The Pied Piper: Is John Piper and New Calvinism Destroying the Church? (2018)
- The Hedonism and Homosexuality of John Piper and Sam Allberry: The Truth of Scripture (2020)
- PIED PIPER: Is John Piper and New Calvinism Destroying the Church? (2021)
References
- ↑ https://www.galwaybeo.ie/news/ireland-news/enoch-burkes-family-tree-home-8073803?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target
- ↑ https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/meet-the-burkes-dismissed-teacher-enoch-burke-hails-from-a-controversial-family-of-evangelical-christians-41952551.html
- ↑ Hussey, Sinéad (25 January 2023). "Burke returns to stand outside Westmeath school". RTÉ. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Orla (26 January 2023). "Burke to be fined €700 a day if he does not purge contempt". RTÉ News. RTÉ. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgl3vy3ve88o.amp. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Burke, Enoch (2020). The Hedonism and Homosexuality of John Piper and Sam Allberry: The Truth of Scripture. ISBN 9781999935528. Retrieved 31 August 2022. Search this book on
[self-published source]
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 O'Faolain, Aodhan (30 August 2022). "Court injunction against teacher Enoch Burke attending school after he opposed addressing student with pronoun 'they'". independent. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
- ↑ "School seeks court order that could see suspended teacher Enoch Burke jailed". The Irish Times. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ↑ O'Faolain, Aodhan (2 September 2022). "Court orders arrest of Enoch Burke for alleged contempt". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ↑ Phelan, Shane; O'Faolain, Aodhan (5 September 2022). "School teacher Enoch Burke says he will contest contempt of court application". independent. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Orla (5 September 2022). "Teacher committed to Mountjoy prison for contempt of court". RTÉ. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Orla (7 September 2022). "Enoch Burke to remain in Mountjoy for at least another week". RTÉ. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ↑ Crisp, James; O'Faolain, Aodhan (2022-09-07). "I'd rather stay in prison for a century than play by these transgender rules, says jailed teacher". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ↑ O'Louhglin, Ann (4 October 2022). "Jailed teacher Enoch Burke appeals injunction preventing him attending school". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ↑ Bracken, Ali (9 October 2022). "Enoch Burke moved to new jail cell for his own safety as he is 'annoying other prisoners'". Irish Independent. Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ O'Faolain, Aodhan (13 October 2022). "Enoch Burke claims he was defamed in newspaper article". Irish Times. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ↑ Reynolds, Eoin (2022-10-14). "Enoch Burke's mother removed from court after 'corrupt judges' remark". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
- ↑ "Enoch Burke to remain in jail for Christmas". RTÉ. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ↑ O'Loughlin, Ann (21 December 2022). "Judge rules Enoch Burke be released from prison on 'open-ended' basis". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Pepper, Diarmuid (2023-01-05). "Enoch Burke appears at Westmeath school despite High Court order". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ↑ Pepper, Diarmuid; O Faolain, Aodhan (2023-01-06). "Enoch Burke appears at Westmeath school for a second day despite High Court order". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
- ↑ Phelan, Shane (20 January 2023). "Enoch Burke dismissed from post at Wilson's Hospital School". Irish Independent. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ Hussey, Sinéad (2023-01-24). "Burke attends school despite dismissal from post". RTÉ. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Hussey, Sinéad (25 January 2023). "Burke returns to stand outside Westmeath school". RTÉ. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Orla (26 January 2023). "Burke to be fined €700 a day if he does not purge contempt". RTÉ News. RTÉ. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
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