The Westmeath school that employed Enoch Burke until his dismissal has increased security at its premises in response to alleged “fraudulent activity in the local area”.
Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham has consulted with gardaí on the matter and employed a security company, with security personnel now positioned at the school gates.
It is understood the security concern has arisen over work done within the school grounds.
Neither the school or gardaí commented on the matter when contacted by the Irish Independent.
However, parents of students at the school received a notice from management last Monday, which read: “You may be aware of the visible enhanced security at the school. This is in response to fraudulent activity in the local area. We are proactively taking measures to make sure our grounds and buildings are secure.”
Security had previously been upgraded at the school after a large protest by supporters of Enoch Burke on December 19 last, demanding his release after Burke was jailed for a second time for contempt of court.
Supporters arrived carrying banners and placards that read “Enoch should not be in prison” and “Enoch should be at home with his family”.Parents said the protest caused a lot of shock and disruption at the school, and security was stepped up in response.
The schoolteacher, who comes from a well-known family of evangelical Christians, came into conflict with school management in 2022 when he publicly challenged, on religious grounds, a request that staff call a transgender student by a new name and “they/them” pronouns.
He is still on administrative leave and being paid while appealing against the decision by the board of management to dismiss him in January last year.
Burke remains behind bars for contempt of court over repeated breaches of an order restraining him from the premises of the Co Westmeath school.
Despite his dismissal, Burke would travel daily to the school, driven by his father Sean, from Castlebar in Co Mayo – a four-hour round trip.
He would stand outside the school in all types of weather, generally passing the time by reading.
He continued turning up at the school for the rest of the 2022/23 school year even after the High Court imposed fines of €700 a day on him for doing so.
The teacher’s repeated defiance of court orders has highlighted the limitations of the contempt regime in Ireland.
Neither imprisonment nor fines, two of the main tools available to coerce an individual into abiding by a court order, have convinced Burke to comply.
In an affidavit, school principal Frank Milling said Burke’s presence was “a massive distraction to staff and students” and “causing stress”.
Burke, who represented himself, claimed he had not been trespassing, that he was there to work, and that the injunction order was “flawed”, “void”, “worthless” and based on an “unfair” hearing.
He also claimed the school had created a “false narrative” that his presence there was causing “fear”.