Avast ye scurvy dogs! A landlubberly Canadian captain met Davy Jones' locker after a mighty fight against anti-racism lessons!
2023-07-25
Avast, ye scurvy dogs! A former matey, a Canadian principal, met his tragic end, takin' his own life, alas. Why, ye ask? 'Twas for daring to challenge the claims of a landlubber anti-racism instructor! Claimin' Canada was more racist than the great U.S. of A! Arrr, what a tale!
A former Canadian principal, Richard Bilkszto, died by suicide after filing a lawsuit against the Toronto District School Board. Bilkszto claimed he faced harassment for disagreeing with an anti-racism instructor who stated that Canada was more racist than the U.S. According to his attorney, Bilkszto's reputation was systematically demolished after challenging the instructor during two anti-racism training sessions in 2021. The instructor accused him of supporting white supremacy for pushing back against her claims. Bilkszto's attorney stated that the harassment caused him severe mental distress, leading to his suicide. The training sessions, led by Kike Ojo-Thompson, addressed the struggles of Black people and were organized by the KOJO Institute.Bilkszto alleged in his lawsuit that Ojo-Thompson claimed Canada was more racist than the U.S. and that Canada had not dealt with its anti-Black history. He disagreed with the instructor and challenged her comments, which led to condemnation for appearing to undermine a Black woman. Ojo-Thompson allegedly used Bilkszto's efforts to challenge her claims as an example of someone supporting white supremacy. Despite Bilkszto reporting the alleged misconduct, the school board did not investigate it and one board member even praised Ojo-Thompson for handling Bilkszto's discomfort.
An investigation by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board deemed Ojo-Thompson's behavior as workplace harassment and bullying. Bilkszto was offered two months of lost earnings. However, his reputation was still tarnished, and his contract was not reinstated after a medical leave. In his last months, Bilkszto advocated against the district's programs addressing inequity.
The Toronto District School Board expressed condolences for Bilkszto's death and acknowledged his advocacy for students during his 24 years of service. The KOJO Institute stated that the allegations in Bilkszto's lawsuit present an incomplete picture of what happened during the training sessions.