Teacher fined for refusing to call a trans boy a "girl" in Ireland
Enoch Burke, a secondary school teacher in Ireland. Photo: Daily Mail
On September 4, 2025, a court in Ireland fined teacher Enoch Burke £195,000 for violating a court order issued after he refused to address a transgender student as a "girl". This was reported by Daily Mail.
Burke, who taught history and German at Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath, refused in August 2022 to use the student's new name and pronoun, stating that it contradicted his evangelical beliefs. Following a conflict with the school administration, he was suspended from teaching and dismissed in January 2023. Despite this, the teacher repeatedly appeared at the school premises, claiming he came to "work".
The court considered these actions as deliberate contempt of orders and imposed hefty fines on Burke. In September 2025, the court increased the daily penalty from £1,200 to £1,700, bringing the total fines to nearly £195,000.
During the conflict, Burke has already spent a total of 513 days behind bars for three separate terms for ignoring court orders. The teacher insists that his punishment is illegal and violates his right to freedom of religion. He claims that being forced to address in the feminine contradicts his Christian views.
The case has gained significant public attention in Ireland. Burke's family is known for their evangelical views and active campaigning against same-sex marriages and transgender ideology. During court sessions, the teacher's relatives frequently engaged in disputes with judges and police, receiving warnings for contempt of court.
Previously, the UOJ reported that a mass was held in Rome for LGBT Catholics.
Read also
U.S. House of Representatives passes ban on sex-change surgeries for minors
The lower house of Congress supported an initiative limiting medical interventions that could have irreversible consequences for the health of minors.
Armenian Church to appeal to international bodies over government pressure
The decision was made by the Supreme Spiritual Council in Etchmiadzin against the backdrop of criminal cases, pressure on the clergy, and the state's attempts to interfere in church life.
Pashinyan's supporters attempt to storm Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia
The confrontation around the Armenian Apostolic Church intensified after rebellious hierarchs called for the Catholicos's resignation and attempted to exert forceful pressure in Etchmiadzin.
Persecuted community of Maliatyntsi celebrates first patronal feast after seizure
In Bukovyna, the faithful of the St. Nicholas community in the village of Maliatyntsi celebrated the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra in Lycia for the first time after the church seizure.
European authorities downplay scale of Christian persecution, report says
Human rights defenders reported an increase in attacks on believers in the EU and pointed out that official statistics do not reflect the real level of anti-Christian hostility.
Mukachevo Eparchy bishops congratulate orphaned children on St Nicholas Day
Metropolitan Theodore and Bishop Hilarion visited the “New Family” children’s shelter in Uzhhorod.