FAMILY PLAN
Enoch Burke’s parents fly to Washington DC days after Musk post before Micheal Martin’s crunch meeting with Donald Trump
The Taoiseach gave his thoughts on the family flying out
ENOCH Burke’s parents have flown to Washington DC ahead of Taoiseach Micheal Martin’s crunch meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
It comes just days after Trump’s right hand man Elon Musk shared a post on social media that showed the Burke family outside the court in the latest hearing in the teacher’s long running legal saga.
Reporters on their way to Washington DC spotted mum Martina and dad Sean on the flight along with other Burke family members.
The family would not comment when asked by reporters why they were travelling to Washington DC.
It is not known whether the family plan to protest at one of the events that Taoiseach Micheal Martin plans to attend or whether they have been invited to Washington DC.
The Taoiseach yesterday dismissed concerns when he was asked about the Burke’s travelling to Washington.
READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS
He said: “I’m not familiar with the travel arrangements of any particular family, and I’m not aware of any issues around that. People are free to travel.
“I’m going to represent the Irish people, on behalf of the Government of Ireland and the people of Ireland.
I have a lot of functions on all week, and that’s what I’m focused on.”
It comes just days after White House ‘Special Government Employee’ Elon Musk shared a post in support of Enoch Burke.
Most read in Irish News
The post included a video of the Burke family speaking outside the court following the latest hearing.
Billionaire Musk posted “wow” as he shared a post which read: “Enoch Burke, a Christian schoolteacher in Ireland, will be STRIPPED of his salary after refusing to use they/them pronouns for a ‘transgender’ student.”
Sacked teacher Enoch Burke returns to former school in defiance of court order
Enoch Burke has spent more than 500 days in prison for repeatedly breaking a court order to stay away from his former school in Westmeath.
At Wilson’s Hospital School, Burke refused to recognise a request from a transgender student to use the pronouns they and them.
He repeatedly voiced his objection to the school’s request to use the pronouns and interrupted a church service at the school to challenge the principal over it.
He was suspended on full pay but continued to show up at the school before he was sacked.
He is appealing his dismissal and remains on full pay despite not having thought at the school in over two years.
He was repeatedly jailed for breaking the court order to stay away from the school.
He is not currently in prison and is being fined €700 every time he shows up at the school and currently owes the State close to €80,000 in fines.
The latest court hearing last week the judge increased these fines to €1,400 per day with the State seeking a receiver to enable them to collect these fines by docking his pay from the school.
1