A Christian teacher jailed for 100 days for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns is LET BY his school after a “messy” disciplinary hearing
Enoch Burke has two weeks to appeal after being dismissed from his teaching post yesterday after a chaotic disciplinary hearing.
Mr. Burke has the right to appeal within 10 working days of Thursday’s Phase 4 hearing to decide whether to fire him.
The teacher, who was jailed for three months for defying a court order to stay away from his school after a dispute over a transgender student’s preferred pronouns, was informed of the decision yesterday.
In a statement, the Burke family declined to comment on whether he would appeal.
Enoch Burke (centre) was discharged from Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath on Friday
The teacher spent three months in jail for defying a court order to stay away from his school after a dispute over a transgender student’s preferred pronouns
However, they claimed that “lawyers unlawfully attempted to conduct the alleged disciplinary hearing” and that the school chairman was absent, which could form the basis of an appeal.
Thursday’s hearing was loudly disrupted by Mr Burke and his family, who are evangelical Christians.
Mr Burke was summoned to Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath yesterday and informed at 3.30pm that he had been dismissed in the presence of Chairman John Rogers and Principal Frank Milling.
Mr Burke said his sacking was based on the “alleged” board meeting at the Mullingar Park Hotel, which Mr Rogers was not present for.
Mr Burke said his sacking was based on the “alleged” board meeting at the Mullingar Park Hotel, which chairman Mr Rogers was absent from
The dispute arose after Mr Burke (centre) initially refused to use different pronouns for a student and then loudly reproached the principal about the pronoun issue during an event celebrating the school’s 260th anniversary
Yesterday, Mr Rogers was on hand to tell Mr Burke that the longstanding dispute over gender pronouns was over – he was fired from the school just a day after Mullingar’s hearing (pictured).
Thursday’s meeting learned Mr Rogers was absent as he had fallen ill on Wednesday night. Gardaí had to escort board members from a hotel in Mullingar while being pursued by members of Burke’s family after Thursday’s hearing.
The decision to fire Mr. Burke came during the fourth phase of the Department of Education and Qualifications’ process for suspending or firing teachers.
The evidence included a written report from the director and permission for Mr. Burke to address the board at the Mullingar meeting.
The sanctions open to the board included demotion and dismissal, and the board quickly decided to opt for dismissal. Mr Burke had spent 107 days in jail before Christmas for refusing to comply with a High Court order to stay away from school until the hearing.
The dispute arose after Mr Burke initially refused to use different pronouns for a student and then protested loudly with the principal over the pronoun issue during an event celebrating the school’s 260th anniversary.
Yesterday, Mr Rogers was on hand to tell Mr Burke that the long-running dispute over gender pronouns is over – he was fired from the school just a day after the Mullingar hearing.
On Wednesday, the High Court refused to grant Mr Burke an injunction to prevent the hearing, finding that he had failed to comply with High Court orders to stay away from the school.
He had been suspended from school on full pay.
Mr Burke was finally released from Mountjoy Prison on December 21. After his release, Judge Brian O’Moore made it absolutely clear that if he showed up at school again, he could be jailed again.
Despite the warning, the teacher continued to visit the school against the will of the school authorities, as it was reopened on January 5 after the Christmas holidays.