Irish teacher barred from school after student pronouns dispute

Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland this week hired a security guard to prevent teacher Enoch Burke from getting into the boarding school, according to The Irish Times. School officials were expected to ask a court to hold Burke liable for the security cost, adding to fines he incurred by going to the school against court orders. Founded in 1761, the school is a Church of Ireland institution and claims to hold Christian values. Burke previously taught German and history at the school until school leaders suspended him in 2022 after he refused to address a student by a different name and the pronouns “they/them.”

Burke has become a vocal activist against transgender ideology, posting social media videos of himself confronting pastors and public officials in person over the issue.

What else has happened in the case? A superior court judge in September 2022 committed Burke to prison for 400 days after he refused to obey an injunction to stay away from the school. The school officially terminated his employment in early 2023, but he appealed his dismissal. Burke claims his termination and the subsequent legal action against him violate his constitutional right to free speech and religious belief. He says he was fired for standing up for his Christian views on gender and sexuality. Meanwhile, others claim his treatment is the result of his refusal to respect court orders.

Dig deeper: Read Timon Cline’s opinion column about Burke’s fight to get back to his classroom.