Secondary school teacher Enoch Burke is expected to be arrested by Gardai today, as the row over using transgender pronouns continues.
Last week, the Board of Management of a secondary school in Co Westmeath secured a temporary injunction from the High Court to prevent Mr Burke from attending at its premises or from teaching any classes while he remained suspended from his position at the school.
Mr Burke, a teacher at Wilson’s Hospital Church of Ireland secondary school, is currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing disciplinary process, the court heard.
However, he has not been sanctioned and no finding against him was upheld by the school to date. The injunction was granted on an ex-parte basis: Mr Burke was not reported to be present in the court.
Mr Burke has strongly and publicly objected to the school’s direction that he must address a student – who wishes to change sex – using the pronouns “they” and by a different name than was previously used.
He has continued to attend the school despite the injunction, and the court heard last Friday that the teacher was “sitting in an empty classroom” in the Co Westmeath secondary school.
Mr Burke has told staff that he is “here to work”.
On Friday, Judge Miriam O’Regan ordered that the teacher be brought to the High Court to answer alleged contempt of the injunction.