Former BC School Trustee Critical of Gender Ideology Ordered to Pay $750,000 for ‘Hate Speech’ by Tribunal 

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has ordered former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld to pay $750,000 after ruling that he has violated the Human Rights Code by publishing content that it deemed “discriminatory” and exposed LGBT people “to hatred or contempt.”

The quasi-judicial human rights body issued its final decision this week to conclude a nearly decade-long case. It began in 2017 when the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association and the BC Teachers’ Federation filed a complaint about Neufeld’s public commentary on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) curriculum being taught to children.

​​Neufeld was a school trustee from 1993 to 2008, and again from 2011 until 2022. He has spoken out against gender ideology in schools since SOGI was introduced in 2017, labelling it child abuse.

The tribunal has ordered Neufeld to pay $750,000 in costs to the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association after concluding that he “invoked negative and insidious stereotypes about LGBTQ people, especially trans people.”

The Feb. 18 decision said his commentary denied LGBT educators “their inherent dignity and, in some cases, reflected the hallmarks of hate against them as a group.”

“He used his platform, and these negative messages, to advocate against making public education inclusive of LGBTQ people,” the three-person tribunal wrote in its decision.

The ruling says the $750,000 is to be distributed equally among LGBT class members. It estimated individual awards would range between $4,601.23 to $16,666.67 per member.

The tribunal also ordered Neufeld to pay $442 to one teacher for lost wages as well as additional costs for “improper conduct” during the proceedings. The ruling did not specify the amount, but it also included a cease-and-refrain order that forbids Neufeld from engaging in similar actions in the future.

The BC Teachers’ Federation President Carole Gordon called the tribunal’s ruling a “huge win” for LGBT rights in a joint press release with Chilliwack Teachers’ Association President Reid Clark. Clark said educators are “hopeful” the ruling “will lead to more inclusive working and learning environments.”

Neufeld told The Epoch Times he plans to apply for a judicial review “of the Tribunal’s unjust decision” and said he will have more to say on the matter in the coming days.

Neufeld has previously spoken out about the events of the past nine years, when he began voicing opposition to gender ideology in schools. He released a video late last year to update his supporters.

Neufeld said that it has been “a long and difficult journey,” and that he has “stood firm” in his commitment to “protect children from confusion, sexualization, and irreversible harm.”

He said his comments resulted in “relentless attacks from the media, unions, and political leaders.”

“They slandered me and called for my resignation, but I refused to back down,” he said. “I believe, then, as I do now, that educators should focus on academic excellence, not ideological indoctrination.”

Tribunal Ruling

The tribunal scrutinized Facebook posts made by Neufeld, as well as a widely circulated email, a speech he made at a gathering, and comments at a school board meeting and in the media.

The tribunal’s 143‑page decision concluded that six of Neufeld’s “publications” exposed gay and trans people “to hatred or contempt” but that the remaining publications did not.

The tribunal also examined 30 comments made by Neufeld for discrimination. It ruled that 24 of the “publications” were discriminatory and six were not.

The tribunal said Neufeld “publicly denigrated LGBTQ people and teachers” over a five‑year period and “contributed to a poisoned workplace” for them. 

The tribunal also agreed with the $750,000 compensation sought by the BC Teachers’ Federation and Chilliwack Teachers’ Association, calling it a “reasonable, if not modest” amount. The associations said the financial compensation is intended to address harm to the dignity, feelings, and self-respect of teachers’ association members identifying as LGBT from October 2017 to 2022.

The tribunal’s ruling was specific to Neufeld’s case, but it also commented on the topic of gender identity as a whole.

“If a person elects not to ‘believe’ that gender identity is separate from sex assigned at birth, then they do not ‘believe’ in transpeople. This is a form of existential denial,” the panel wrote.

“A person does not need to believe in Christianity to accept that another person is Christian. However, to accept that a person is transgender, one must accept that their gender identity is different than their sex assigned at birth.”

B.C. Conservative MLA Heather Maahs, who represents Chilliwack North,  questioned the tribunal’s ruling in a Feb. 19 social media post.

“Nine long years this case sat on the books with the HRT,” said Maahs, who is a former school trustee. “If a murderer’s case isn’t heard in 2 years you walk free. This is entirely disgraceful from every angle.”

She noted that Neufeld had served as a probation officer for 25 years. “Most of his clients were sex offenders,” she said. “He saw red flags when SOGI 123 was introduced and spoke out.”

Previous Ruling

Neufeld was also named in another defamation case in 2022 and was jailed for one day last November for failing to pay damages to the complainant, a fellow trustee.

Trustee Carin Bondar filed the complaint after Neufeld referred to her as a “striptease artist” during a 2022 podcast. Neufeld’s comment referenced a 2014 parody video in which Bondar appeared wearing bikini briefs and a tank top.

Bondar’s video about evolution and natural selection was based on Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” music video that came out a year earlier. The parody shows Bondar swinging on a wrecking ball and she also “briefly appears naked,” according to court documents in the case.

Bondar argued his remarks, made during a byelection period, implied she was not fit for public office. Neufeld argued his comments were protected by fair comment or qualified privilege doctrines.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Michael Stephens said Neufeld’s words “crossed the line and constituted defamation,” and ordered him in April 2024 to pay $35,000 in general damages and $10,000 in punitive damages.

Neufeld said in his video posted to Facebook that he “simply cannot afford” to make the payment, noting that the amount was increased to $53,713.75 after he missed a court appearance.

He has previously said many educators and parents agree with his stance on gender ideology curriculum but are afraid to say so for fear of repercussions.