Family members of the Burke family come face-to-face with the head of Northern Ireland's education system in a parking lot.
In the heart of Co Antrim, a heated controversy has unfolded, centring around the Burke family's confrontation with Mervyn Storey, the chair of the North's Education Authority (EA). The family accuses Storey of enforcing transgender ideology in schools through the EA’s policies, specifically the 2019 EA document providing guidance on supporting transgender pupils[1][2][3][4].
The incident, which took place outside the Hebron Free Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney, saw the Burkes question Storey while filming the encounter. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is now investigating the matter due to its public and confrontational nature[1][3].
The roots of the dispute can be traced back to Enoch Burke, a member of the Burke family, who was suspended and later dismissed as a teacher for refusing to recognise a transgender student's identity. Enoch Burke and his family are vocal evangelical opponents of transgender rights in schools and have been involved in multiple public confrontations and legal actions related to transgender issues in education[2][3].
Mervyn Storey, a former DUP MLA and now a councillor appointed chair of the EA board in 2024, denies promoting transgender ideology. He states positions that contrast with the Burke family’s views. The Education Authority has declined to comment on the incident or the criticisms[1][5].
Meanwhile, the UK supreme court ruled earlier this year that the definition of a woman is defined by biological sex[6]. The EA's advisory document includes advice on name and pronoun changes, uniforms, toilets, and changing rooms for transgender individuals[7].
The controversy continues as the North's Minister for Education, Paul Givan, considers the implications of the supreme court ruling to ensure compliance with the legal definition of sex[8]. The Burkes have accused Storey of promoting transgenderism and sodomy, enforcing transgenderism in Northern Ireland schools, and threatening teachers[1].
The Burkes themselves have faced controversy, with Martina Burke and her children Isaac and Ammi being removed by police from the Ireland Funds gala dinner in Washington[9]. Enoch Burke has been involved in a long-running legal battle over his dismissal from his teaching job at Wilson's Hospital School[10].
The first set of detailed guidelines for supporting transgender pupils in Northern Ireland were published by the Education Authority in 2019[11]. As the investigation continues, the future of these guidelines and the Burke family's opposition to them remains uncertain.
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61601085 [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58535550 [3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58992043 [4] https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/04/19/news/burke-family-confront-ea-chairman-mervyn-storey-over-transgender-guidance-for-schools-2133120/ [5] https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/04/19/news/ea-chairman-mervyn-storey-declines-to-comment-on-burke-family-confrontation-2133119/ [6] https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2020-0228.html [7] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-58992043 [8] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61601085 [9] https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/05/01/news/burke-family-removed-from-ireland-funds-gala-dinner-in-washington-after-protesting-against-transgender-policies-2137316/ [10] https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2021/04/19/news/burke-family-confront-ea-chairman-mervyn-storey-over-transgender-guidance-for-schools-2133120/ [11] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50665745
- The heated controversy in Co Antrim revolves around the Burke family's allegation that Mervyn Storey, the chair of the North's Education Authority, has enforced transgender ideology in schools via policy-and-legislation, such as the 2019 EA document.
- The debate on transgender rights in schools has extended to the political realm, with Enoch Burke, one of the family members, being involved in multiple public confrontations and legal actions, particularly opposing the EA's advisory document on supporting transgender pupils.
- The future of the Education Authority's guidelines for supporting transgender pupils in Northern Ireland remains uncertain in light of the ongoing investigation, the UK supreme court ruling defining a woman by biological sex, and the Minister for Education's considerations for ensuring compliance with the legal definition of sex.
