Dismissed teacher Enoch Burke has lost his appeal over the injunctions against him granted to Wilson’s Hospital School. While the Court of Appeal gave its judgment, they were interrupted by the Burke family, who were then forcibly escorted out by Gardaí.

On February 16, the Court of Appeal heard Enoch Burke’s challenges to the injunctions granted by the High Court against him, which prevented him from attending Wilson’s Hospital School. Today, March 7, the judgement on the matter was delivered by the court, which dismissed Burke’s appeal.

While the Court of Appeal President, Justice George Birmingham, was delivering the judgment, he was interrupted by the six members of the Burke family, who began shouting against the court and had to be forcibly escorted out by Gardaí, with one person, Enoch Burke’s younger brother, Simeon, being arrested in relation to the incident. Amid the chaotic scenes, Burke’s mother told the judges that they were “bowing before the altar of transgenderism”.

Wilson’s Hospital School obtained the injunctions against Enoch Burke last August and September when the dismissed teacher continued to show up at the institution despite being put on paid administrative leave pending a disciplinary process against him. The process started in August 2022, with a report submitted by former principal Niamh McShane concerning, among other things, Burke’s conduct at a school event in June, where he harassed McShane and publicly disputed a transgender student’s ‘they/them’ pronouns.

Pure and utter pandemonium in the Court of Appeal. Ten guards called to the courtroom after judges forced to leave again. Ammi Burke removed by four officers. Enoch Burke is refusing to leave. He is actually holding onto a bench with a Garda trying to reason with him.

— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) March 7, 2023

Since then, the dismissed teacher was arrested for contempt of court and incarcerated for 108 days, before being released on the condition that he comply with court orders mandating him to stay away from the school. He has repeatedly breached such orders, continuing to show up on the premises every day possible.

On January 27, the High Court imposed a fine of €700 on him for every day that he continued to show up at Wilson’s Hospital School. At present, the total fine he faces amounts to €28,000. Last week, the school was directed to provide an affidavit detailing whether Burke continued to turn up at the institution, thus breaching court orders. This dispute is yet to be heard before the High Court.