The High Court has completed the hearing of the case brought by Wilson Hospital School against teacher Enoch Burke.
The school wants the court to deem fit to suspend Mr Burke from his teaching position in August 2022, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him.
Mr Burke argues that the disciplinary proceedings, his suspension and subsequent decision to fire him were illegal, reports RTE.
Judge Alexander Owens said he wanted to deliver the verdict immediately but would not do so tonight because he was “a little bit tired”, reports RTE.
He stated that his tentative opinion was that even if the school had acted grossly in a wrong way with respect to the procedures relating to Mr. Burke’s suspension, this was a clear case of trespassing and Mr. Burke had no right to return to school premises. did not have the right
He said he would serve his sentence “fairly shortly” and in the meantime would issue an injunction preventing Mr. Burke from trespassing on school premises.
In his closing remarks to the court, senior counsel, Alex White, said the school categorically rejected any issue of disciplinary action being taken against Mr Burke because he held special views.
Senior solicitor Mark Connaughton said Mr Burke had been contacted via email on a number of occasions, not only to deal with the disclosure of the documents, but to tell him if he accepted the judge’s directions.
If he accepts the judge’s decisions, then he will be welcomed in the court. He added that the disclosure issues were addressed and clarifications were given for each issue in a specific manner.
In his closing remarks, Mr Connaughton told the court that Mr Burke’s conduct at a school event on 21 June was extraordinary and that his conduct towards the then principal was unacceptable.
Mr Connaughton said the 22 August meeting was not a normal meeting because Mr Burke and his sister, Ammi, who was with him, would not allow it to be a normal meeting.
They did not come to the meeting to address issues, he said, they came to commit their own agenda. He said the decision to suspend Mr Burke pending a disciplinary hearing a few weeks later was absolutely correct and irresistible, reports RTE.
Mr Connaughton said Mr Burke had then disobeyed a valid school instruction to suspend him. He said that he tried to completely sabotage the disciplinary meeting held in January this year.
The court was told yesterday that Burke, his brother Isaac, sister Ammi and mother Martina repeatedly sang and shouted, disrupting the meeting, reports RTE.
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