by Becca Clarkson, CTV News
Former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld has been ordered to pay $750,000 in damages to LGBTQ2S+ teachers after the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal found dozens of his public statements amounted to discrimination or hate speech.
The decision, released Wednesday, caps a human rights case nearly a decade in the making and concludes that Neufeld’s public attacks on sexual‑orientation and gender‑identity education, known as SOGI 123, helped create a “poisoned” work environment for queer and trans teachers in Chilliwack.
The tribunal determined he breached three sections of the Human Rights Code—including employment discrimination, discriminatory publications, and hate speech—and ordered him to compensate dozens of teachers impacted by his conduct. The ruling also underscores that school trustees have a legal duty to uphold safe and inclusive learning environments.
Damages and orders
The tribunal awarded $750,000 to the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association for equal distribution among LGBTQ2S+ class members. The panel estimated the class likely includes between 45 and 163 teachers, but the exact number will be confirmed by the CTA during distribution.
It also ordered $442 to one teacher for lost wages tied to participating in the proceedings and applied pre‑ and post‑judgment interest to the amounts. The panel issued a cease‑and‑refrain order, prohibiting Neufeld from repeating similar conduct.
Neufeld has also been ordered to pay additional costs for improper conduct during the proceedings, in a concurrent ruling not yet posted on the tribunal’s “recent decisions” page.
Read also: The BC Human Rights Tribunal attacks freedom of speech, but it also attacks democracy in the most direct way possible by Mark F Proudman on X