Enoch Burke turns up at Wilson's Hospital School for third consecutive day
Enoch Burke being driven to Wilson’s Hospital School in Westmeath by his father this morning. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
Enoch Burke returned to Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath again this morning despite being dismissed from his teaching role at the school last week, pending appeal.
Mr Burke was driven through the school gates by his father at 8.42am. He was denied entry to the building.
This is the third consecutive day on which he has turned up at the school.
He left the premises shortly after 3.30pm.
Speaking to RTE outside the school, he said: "We are at a time in this country where people are at their wits end with the cost of everything, the cost of fuel, the cost of putting bread on the table, putting clothes on children’s backs, grocery bills gone up,"
“He will make you a pauper for the profession of your religious belief.”
Mr Burke also spent a number of hours outside the school on Wednesday, standing in the rain on school grounds and writing in a notebook, before leaving when the school closed for the day at after 1pm.
After appearing at the school on Tuesday, he was arrested under the Public Order Act and brought to Mullingar Garda Station. Upon his release, he returned to Wilson's Hospital School.
Enoch Burke was informed last Friday of his dismissal from his position as teacher there.
The evangelical Christian was suspended from work on full pay last year pending the outcome of a disciplinary process, stemming from a request from the secondary school’s then principal, Niamh McShane.
Mr Burke voiced on several occasions his opposition to the principal’s request to address a transgender child by their chosen name and refer to them by the pronouns, “they/them”.
Subsequent events led to his suspension from his job at the school.
In September, Mr Burke was jailed for contempt of court orders due to his continued to attendance at the school. After 108 days, he was released on December 21 an open-ended basis, without having purged his contempt.
Mr Burke has rejected his dismissal, asserting that he has a right to work. He also claims he was “wrongfully” arrested for trespass on Tuesday.
