A former principal of a Toronto, Canada, school committed suicide after filing a lawsuit against the District School Board alleging "emotional distress" after attending a training where he was accused of being racist.
Richard Bilkszto, 60, attended a professional development workshop in 2021 at an institute called KOJO. This included sessions on the concepts of critical race theory. According to the lawsuit, the former director was labeled a "white supremacist" for sharing his ideals and beliefs.
Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced that they were currently investigating the case and expressed his concern, calling it "serious and disturbing":
This tragic incident only underscores the need for greater accountability of school boards and the necessity to ensure professional training is free from harassment and intimidation. ... [We will bring] options to reform professional training and strengthen accountability on school boards so this never happens again.
The institute responded, saying it “welcomes” the investigation:
KOJO Institute welcomes Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s review of this matter and will cooperate fully with Ministry officials. We believe the Ministry of Education is best positioned to investigate this matter to get to the bottom of what transpired at the Toronto District School Board after our workshop concluded over two years ago.
"You in your whiteness think that you can tell me what’s really going on for black people"
Bilkszto alleged that Kike Ojo-Thompson, an instructor at the training, commented that Canada was a racist country, as the nation "has never reckoned with its anti-black history." The former director questioned the woman's comments because he did not agree with them. According to the lawsuit, she responded by accusing him of ignorance for not knowing what "is really going on with black people."
We are here to talk about anti-black racism, but you in your whiteness think that you can tell me what’s really going on for black people.
The former principal's family claimed that his mental health was weakened by Ojo-Thompson's accusation. However, Bilkszto sued the district, not the instructor directly. Despite this, as his name appears in the lawsuit he has come forward to defend himself by denying all allegations:
This incident is being weaponized to discredit and suppress the work of everyone committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
