Former B.C. school trustee ordered to pay $750K for hate speech, discrimination: human rights tribunal

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has ordered former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld to pay $750,000 for violating the Human Rights Code by publishing hate speech and discriminatory content against 2SLGBTQ+ people.

"Mr. Neufeld invoked negative and insidious stereotypes about LGBTQ people, especially trans people, which denied their inherent dignity and, in some cases, reflected the hallmarks of hate against them as a group," the tribunal said in a decision Wednesday.

Neufeld was one of the "loudest critics" against the B.C. government's move in 2017 directing school boards to update codes of conduct to address bullying based on "SOGI," or sexual orientation and gender identity, according to the tribunal’s decision.

"For five years, he publicly denigrated LGBTQ people and teachers and associated them with the worst forms of child abuse," said the tribunal members, adding that the effect was a discriminatory work environment for 2SLGBTQ+ teachers in the district.

Neufeld did not respond to CBC News's request for comment by publication deadline.

The complaint was brought to the tribunal by the Chilliwack Teachers' Association and B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF) on behalf of their members who identify as LGBTQ.

The tribunal's decision noted it used the LGBTQ term in its decision as set out in the association's initial complaint, but did not intend to erase or overlook the breadth of sexual and gender diversity.

Neufeld's publications included Facebook posts, a speech at a gathering, a widely-circulated email, and comments at a school board meeting and in the media.

The tribunal found six of his publications were likely to expose trans, gay and lesbian people to hatred or contempt based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

"These publications demonize and delegitimize trans people (and in one case, lesbian and gay people) and cast them as a powerful menace threatening the security of children and their families."

More than 20 of Neufeld's publications indicated discrimination or an intention to discriminate against 2SLGBTQ+ people in the Chilliwack School District.

One unnamed teacher, who uses she/they pronouns, testified before the tribunal that Neufeld's comments made the people in their life ask them "to reconsider going into teaching."

They said they chose not to be out as a queer person professionally because they and their family feared for their safety, which they described as a tough and isolating experience.

The teacher said not being out affected their ability "to show up in the classroom as their best self."