Irish Teacher Not Jailed for Life Over Pronouns, Court Records Show

Contrary to viral social media claims, Irish teacher Enoch Burke has not been sentenced to life imprisonment for refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns, court documents confirm.

The misleading narrative gained traction after a December 3 post on X (formerly Twitter) declared that Burke “was sentenced to LIFE in prison for refusing to use a transgender student’s pronouns” and would “spend THE REST OF HIS LIFE behind bars unless a last-ditch legal challenge works.”

Court records tell a fundamentally different story. Burke, who has been entangled in legal proceedings since 2022 following his suspension from Wilson’s Hospital School, was recently returned to jail by Justice Cregan—but for repeatedly violating court orders prohibiting him from trespassing on school property, not for his views on gender identity.

“Mr. Burke has not been imprisoned or fined for his views on transgender issues, which he is perfectly entitled to have and to articulate,” Justice Cregan wrote in his November 18 judgment. “Mr. Burke has been imprisoned, and fined, for contempt of court, because he has breached court orders directing him not to trespass on school property.”

The judge further noted that Burke had consistently refused to comply with these orders for three years, demonstrating a pattern of deliberate defiance of court rulings.

In a subsequent judgment issued on November 28, Justice Cregan took extraordinary steps to clarify the situation, explicitly stating what Burke must do to secure his release. The requirements have nothing to do with accepting transgender identity or changing his religious convictions.

“I would like to make it crystal clear to Mr. Burke what he must do to purge his contempt and to be released from prison,” the judge wrote. “He must give an undertaking to the court that he will not enter on, or trespass on, the school’s property again without the school’s consent. That is all.”

Justice Cregan emphatically stated that Burke “does not have to accept transgenderism” or “change his religious beliefs one iota” to leave prison. He simply needs to agree to stop trespassing.

“The idea that Mr. Burke is being imprisoned because of his religious beliefs is nonsense,” the judgment continues. “This court does not imprison people for their religious beliefs. Mr. Burke is being imprisoned because he is trespassing on other people’s property. No more. No less.”

The judge also directly addressed misinformation surrounding the case: “Any statements by Mr. Burke, or other members of his family, that he is being imprisoned because of his opposition to transgenderism are demonstrably false.”

Burke appears to have contributed to the confusion himself, with a December 3 post on his X account claiming the judge had issued “an effective life sentence.” This characterization contradicts the court’s explicit statements that Burke can secure his release by agreeing to obey the trespassing order.

This isn’t the first time Burke’s case has been misrepresented in public discourse. Similar misleading claims circulated in 2024 after an earlier arrest for the same violation.

The case highlights how complex legal matters can be distorted on social media platforms, particularly when they intersect with politically charged topics like religious freedom and transgender rights. Court documents make clear that Burke’s incarceration stems from his refusal to comply with property trespassing orders, not his personal beliefs or views on gender identity.

While Burke maintains his position and remains in jail, his release depends solely on his willingness to respect the court’s trespassing injunction—a condition that, according to Justice Cregan’s ruling, has nothing to do with compelled speech regarding gender identity or compromising his religious convictions.