Following his repeated refusal to comply with a court order, Enoch Burke, a secondary school teacher, was ordered by the High Court to remain imprisoned, reports RTE.
Last month, Mr. Burke was incarcerated for the third time for violating an order from last year that forbade him from entering Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath.
In January 2023, the school fired him.
However, he has challenged the dismissal and is still receiving full salary while the appeal is being heard, reports RTE.
He was originally suspended in August 2022 after a disagreement about using “they/them” pronouns for a pupil with the school’s then-principal.
Mr. Burke said that his religious convictions prevented him from doing this, reports RTE.
According to what the court has been told, he openly brought up the problem at a religious service and questioned Niamh McShane, the principal, about it.
Despite being suspended and then fired, he has continued to attend the institution, reports RTE.
This has been characterised by the school as “stressful” and disruptive for both teachers and kids.
Mr. Burke maintained that his religious convictions were the reason he was incarcerated, reports RTE.
But in a brief but contentious hearing this morning, Mr. Justice David Nolan informed him that he was incarcerated due to his refusal to follow a court order.
He appeared before the court to be given the chance to atone for his disobedience and to be allowed to leave custody by promising to follow the ruling, reports RTE.
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