Enoch Burke was told by the principal at Wilson's Hospital School, part of the Church of Ireland's private school system, that a trans student should no longer be referred to with masculine pronouns but female ones. Burke refused to use the preferred pronouns of said trans student.

An Irish court issued an injunction against Burke, barring him from the premises of the school. Rather than comply with what he saw as an illegal suspension of his religious liberty and an affront to God, Burke showed up for teaching duty in violation of the court order and was sent to prison.

There is no timeline for Burke's release from prison or date for a trial since he has not been charged with anything other than breaking the court order against going to the school. The court said he could purge his contempt at any time, which for Burke means either giving up his position as a Christian teacher at the church school or recanting his position on using the correct pronouns.

Burke asked to be released for Christmas to spend time with his family, saying that he was not a criminal, just imprisoned for his religious beliefs. The courts said he was free to leave at any time if he would comply with their ideological demands. It was up to him to recant.

As far as recanting and agreeing to the court order, Burke previously said,

"If this court so determines, I will never leave Mountjoy Prison if in leaving the prison I violate my well informed conscience and religious belief and deny my God.

'It seems to me that I can be a Christian in Mountjoy Prison or be a pagan and respecter of transgenderism outside of it. I know where I belong.

'My faith has led me to that place and will keep me there, God helping me.'

He told the court that if that choice was put to him 'every hour of every day for next 100 years', he would answer the question the same."

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