In the age of viral misinformation, a sensational claim about an Irish teacher being “sentenced to life in prison for transphobia” has circulated widely on social media. For those following the case of Enoch Burke, the facts are far more complex, but the bottom line is clear: **this claim is completely false.**
The truth is, while a high-profile legal battle does involve a disagreement over transgender issues, the former teacher’s numerous stints in prison are not for a crime of ‘transphobia’ and certainly do not amount to a life sentence. His ongoing and escalating legal troubles stem from repeated, willful breaches of a court order.
The Real Reason for Imprisonment
Enoch Burke, a history and German teacher, was dismissed from his post at Wilson’s Hospital School in County Westmeath after a dispute arose over his refusal to use a transitioning student’s preferred name and “they/them” pronouns. This objection, which Mr. Burke has explicitly linked to his Evangelical Christian beliefs, led to his suspension and eventual dismissal for gross misconduct.
Following his dismissal, Mr. Burke repeatedly returned to the school grounds in defiance of a direct court injunction ordering him to stay away. That is the critical point: he was, and is, being imprisoned for **contempt of court**, not for his initial objections to gender identity or pronouns.
A High Court judge has repeatedly and explicitly stated that the case is not about Mr. Burke’s religious views, but about his flagrant refusal to obey the rule of law. His refusal to comply with the court’s injunctions has led to him being jailed multiple times.
A Long-Running Battle, Not a Life Sentence
Mr. Burke has spent over 500 days in prison across various periods since the dispute began in 2022. However, he is not serving a fixed sentence. Crucially, the court has stated he “holds the keys to his own prison,” meaning he can be released immediately upon purging his contempt, which requires him to give an undertaking to the court that he will abide by the order to stay away from the school. He has repeatedly refused to do this.
The courts have employed other measures to enforce the order, including imposing mounting fines. As of late 2025, the former teacher owes the State more than €225,000 in accumulating daily fines for his continued breaches. The latest escalation saw him ordered back to prison in November 2025 for what the judge called a “deliberate, sustained and concerted attack” on the authority of the civil courts.
The situation has also broadened, with the Attorney General directed to bring criminal contempt proceedings against Mr. Burke and members of his family, including his mother and two siblings, due to their disruptive behaviour toward the court and their own defiance of court orders.
The Bottom Line
To be absolutely clear, Enoch Burke is in prison because he has repeatedly trespassed on school property in direct and ongoing breach of a court injunction. The sensational headline claiming he was given a life sentence for ‘transphobia’ is a dangerous distortion of the facts of an already high-profile and controversial case.