Family of Enoch Burke say he was removed from appeal hearing

Enoch Burke has been removed from an appeal hearing over his dismissal from Wilson’s Hospital school, according to his family.

His family said the hearing on Friday had concluded and he was returned to Castlerea Prison.

Mr Burke had failed in a legal bid to prevent the hearing from happening on Thursday evening.

The Disciplinary Appeals Panel (DAP) oral hearing commenced on Friday morning to consider matters relating to his dismissal from Wilson’s Hospital school.

The former history and German teacher has been engaged in a legal dispute with the Co Westmeath school since 2022.

He was suspended following incidents arising from a request from the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun, and later dismissed from his position.

Mr Burke has repeatedly argued the direction was unconstitutional and went against his right to express his religious beliefs.

He has spent more than 650 days in prison after he was found to have violated court orders instructing him not to trespass at the school.

A video posted on his X account appeared to show Mr Burke being escorted from the hearing by prison officers on Friday.

In the same video, his mother Martina and brother Isaac said that he had objected to the presence of legal representatives for the school’s board of management at the meeting.

They contended this was a breach of the processes of the appeal panel, which are supposed to be “informal”.

A spokesperson for the family said the DAP hearing opened at approximately 10.15am at the Department of Education buildings in Athlone.

They said that a previously constituted DAP refused to allow lawyers to be present in the hearing room during a meeting in December, stating it was not its practice to allow legal representation at oral hearings.

The family said the DAP adjourned multiple times to consider the matter, but ultimately did not direct the legal representatives to leave the hearing.

In a statement, the family said Mr Burke continued to request fair procedures but was removed by prison officers.

They said this was done under the direction of the chair of the DAP.

Other members of the family said they went to the hearing room but gardai were asked to remove them.

They said the hearing ended by 1.30pm and Mr Burke was returned to Castlerea Prison.

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal heard arguments from Mr Burke as he sought to overturn a May 2023 High Court ruling by Mr Justice Alexander Owens which found his suspension from the school was lawful.

Judgment on the matter was reserved.

The Department of Education has been contacted for comment.