Jailed schoolteacher Enoch Burke got the High Court to temporarily halt a Teaching Council inquiry into allegations against him, claiming the inquiry panel is biased.
A fitness to teach inquiry is scheduled to begin on Wednesday to consider allegations of professional misconduct against Burke, reports Breaking News.
The allegations largely stem from complaints relating to Burke’s trespassing at his former workplace, Wilson’s Hospital School, in breach of court orders.
Burke was formally dismissed from his role at the Co Westmeath school last month, reports Breaking News.
The school suspended and later dismissed Burke over his conduct towards then-principal Niamh McShane at a school religious event in June 2022.
The confrontation arose after McShane had earlier directed teachers to address a student by a new name and with the pronouns “they” and “them,” reports Breaking News.
Burke, an evangelical Christian, has maintained this request went against his religious beliefs.
Burke has repeatedly breached the order to stay away from the school, and is now incarcerated over this contempt of court, having spent over 700 days across separate spells in jail, reports Breaking News.
Appearing in person before Judge Brian Cregan on Monday, Burke said he was seeking an interim injunction to stop the scheduled fitness to teach inquiry hearing from proceeding, with the injunction sought against the three members of the inquiry panel.
Burke submitted that he met the requirements for the granting of an interim injunction, including that his case against the inquiry panel raises a fair issue to be tried, reports Breaking News.
Burke claimed that Andy Pike, the inquiry chairperson, was biased and “cannot approach this inquiry from an objective standpoint.”
He claimed Pike had promoted social media posts relating to St Patrick’s Day floats that “mocked and parodied” him, reports Breaking News.
He submitted the panel had unfairly “circumscribed” the issues to be considered by the inquiry.
Burke also submitted that a “legal assessor” engaged by the inquiry, senior counsel Lorna Lynch, had “overstepped and exceeded her role” in preliminary hearings held by the inquiry, reports Breaking News.
He also raised an issue with the panel’s decision to allow a “key witness” to give evidence anonymously, saying no reason was provided for granting anonymity to John Galligan, a former deputy principal at Wilson’s Hospital School.
The judge gave Burke permission to serve his proceedings on the inquiry panel members, and directed that the case return on Tuesday, when his bid for an interim injunction will be determined, reports Breaking News.
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