In a recent legal development, an Ontario court has sided with retired teacher Carolyn Burjoski, who faced suppression for expressing concerns about transgender-themed books in elementary school libraries. The Ontario Superior Court, led by Justice James Ramsay, rejected a request from the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) to dismiss Burjoski’s defamation case, emphasizing the importance of free expression in Canadian society.
According to the Canadian outlet National Post, Ramsay asserted, “The Human Rights Code does not prohibit public discussion of issues related to transgenderism or minors and transgenderism. It does not prohibit public discussion of anything.”
As a result of the ruling, Burjoski’s case against the school board and its former chair Scott Piatkowski can proceed, with the court ordering the board to cover $30,000 of Burjoski’s legal fees. Burjoski has also taken action against the board, appealing its decision to halt her presentation and claiming a violation of her freedom of expression.
The legal battle stems from a January 2022 incident in which Burjoski was removed from a Board of Trustees meeting after exposing the dangers of LGBT books. Those included the books Rick by Alex Gino, and The Other Boy by MC Hennesy, featuring “asexual” and trangender child charachers. Burjoski explained her motivation to speak out on her website:
I decided to ask the Board to explain the philosophy by which they decided, for example, that [Dr. Seuss] was now considered inappropriate and these new diverse books for young children with sexual content were appropriate. I was granted a delegation at the Board of Trustees meeting on January 17, 2022 and allotted 10 minutes to speak. I read excerpts from two of these children’s books, criticizing the age-appropriateness of the sexual content. Then, less than 4 minutes into my presentation, the Board Chair cut me off and ejected me from the meeting, claiming that my comments violated the Human Rights Code.
Following the meeting, Burjoski, a teacher with 20 years of experience, was expelled from the classroom, and the board initiated an investigation. Piatkowski labeled her comments as “transphobic,” leading to a media controversy. Burjoski, who suffered a breakdown and is still in recovery, accused Piatkowski of attributing remarks to her that she did not make and characterizing them as hateful, as she sued him.
Burjoski took to Twitter to celebrate the recent ruling. She recapped the case and thanked all her supporters.
Undoubtedly, the court’s decision marks a significant development in the ongoing debate over freedom of expression and presence of LGBT perversions in educational settings.
