British Columbia trustee ordered to pay $750,000 over trans policy comments

A former trustee of the Chilliwack Board of Education in British Columbia has been ordered to pay $750,000 following a ruling by the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal over her public comments opposing transgender policies.

One decision In a decision published Feb. 18, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal ordered former Chilliwack Board of Education trustee Barry Neufeld to pay $750,000 “to members of the Class of CTA members who identify as LGBTQ between October 2017 and 2022 for harming their dignity, feelings and self-esteem.”

The decision states that Neufeld was first exposed to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), referred to as “SOGI 1 2 3”, in 2017, when he attended an “information evening” about SOGI hosted by television star Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson.

According to the decision, Neufeld described SOGI on Facebook on October 23, 2017 as a ‘propaganda weapon’ that taught children about the ‘absurd theory’ that ‘gender is not biologically determined, but a social construct’. “He said ‘allowing’ children to ‘change gender’ is child abuse.”

The resolution states that Neufeld “ended his post by saying that he belonged to a country like Russia or Paraguay that ‘has lately had the courage to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists,’” and linked to an article titled “Parents Defeated Gender Ideology in Paraguay.”

Neufeld later apologized for his post. But the ruling states: “Over the next five years, Mr. Neufeld made dozens of public statements expressing his opposition to SOGI 1 2 3 and gender-affirming care for transgender youth, characterizing the reality of transgender and gender diverse people as a mere ‘theory’ or ‘ideology,’ and warning that teaching children SOGI undermined the social order and set them up for abuse.”

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Protesters supporting minors who identify as transgender during a rally in Minnesota. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The decision stated that Neufeld’s public statements “caused or contributed to a toxic workplace for LGBTQ teachers and therefore negatively impacted them in connection with their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

According to the decision, 45 to 163 teachers identified as LGBTQ in the Chilliwack School District between 2017 and 2022, meaning individual compensation could range from approximately $4,601.23 to $16,666.67.

Neufeld was also ordered to pay $442.00 in lost wages to a teacher identified as “Teacher C” who lost 17 hours of pay while attending hearings and testifying on the matter.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Neufeld and counsel for the Chilliwack Board of Education for comment.

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A protester holds a transgender pride flag near the U.S. Capitol on February 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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