A devout Christian teacher at a Church of Ireland boarding school unwilling to accept "the hellish ideology of transgenderism" was jailed for the third time Monday for violating a court order.
Enoch Burke violated a court-imposed injunction by not staying away from Wilson's Hospital School in Heathland, which is about 55 miles northwest of Dublin, and was sent back to Mountjoy Prison, The Irish Times reported. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 11.
Burke told the judge he would have to answer before God for jailing someone because of their religious beliefs. He claimed he was ordered by the school's former principal to "force transgenderism on students."
The school said Burke attended every school day since Aug. 22, which it said was "disruptive" to staff and students, the Times reported.
Burke was suspended by the school in August 2022 after objecting to using a new name and "they" pronoun of a student who wanted to change gender. Despite his suspension, Burke continued to attend the school. A judge then granted the school an injunction.
Burke first violated the injunction in September 2022 and spent 100 days in jail before being released, the Times reported. He started attending the school again after the Christmas break, and the court imposed a daily fine of 700 euros. He violated the order again in September 2023 and was jailed until June. Burke was told by the court he would be released if he promised to abide by the order and stay away from the school, but he declined to do so.
Burke reportedly was fired by the school in January 2023 but has appealed and remains a paid member of the staff.
Burke was brought to court Monday night following his arrest on the school's campus that afternoon, the Times reported. He was accompanied by members of his family, including his parents Sean and Martina Burke. He said he was being jailed over his refusal to accept "the hellish ideology of transgenderism," the Times reported.
Burke added he had been denied his rights as a Christian by the school when he said it "commanded" him to refer to a male student as "they." Quoting from the book of Genesis and the gospel according to Saint Matthew to reaffirm his Christian beliefs regarding gender, Burke said the case amounted to "a mockery of justice" and accused several parties, including members of the judiciary, of telling lies about what the case is about.
He claimed the truth about the case is his opposition to transgenderism and that it was being "trampled into the ground," the Times reported. He added, "The truth will rise up again."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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