Chilliwack school trustee issues apology
Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld has offered an apology to those “who felt hurt” by comments in a Facebook post he shared earlier this week.
Neufeld’s statement was shared on Wednesday, two days after his post comparing allowing a child to determine their own gender to “child abuse” was shared to Facebook. The post was panned by fellow educators both in his own school district and across B.C., with many calling for his resignation.
“My post on Facebook has created a lot of controversy and first of all, I want to apologize to those who felt hurt by my opinion, including members of the Chilliwack Board of Education,” began Neufeld’s statement. “I am critical of an educational resource, not individuals.
“Those who have worked with me for over 24 years know that I DO believe in inclusion and a safe learning environment for all of our students: that they should be protected from all forms of bullying and intimidation.”
Neufeld goes on to say that he believes in “a free and democratic society” and that there “should be room for respectful discussion and dissent.”
“I firmly believe that implementation of the SOGI 123 resources needs to be reviewed by engaging parents and teachers in conversation on this topic before full implementation,” he concludes. The SOGI 123 curriculum advocates for LGBTQ -friendly and inclusive policies in B.C. schools.
The veteran school trustee posted to Facebook on Monday, calling gender theory “the latest fad” and referencing American fringe groups as support for his comments.
“If this represents the values of Canadian society, count me out! I belong in a country like Russia, or Paraguay, which recently had the guts to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists,” he wrote. The post was removed from public view sometime on Tuesday.
Other educators noted that the curriculum and policies had been around for some time and were part of a longer-standing antibullying commitment made by B.C.’s educators.
“We have been working on an anti-bullying strategy for five years. We have a human rights code that protects transgender people in British Columbia, including young people in our school systems, so his views are not going to have any impact in terms of influencing the Ministry of Education and I suspect he’s finding himself rather isolated in the Chilliwack School District,” said Education Minister Rob Fleming on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Chilliwack School District chairman Paul McManus also posted a statement online.
“The comments of Trustee Barry Neufeld on his Facebook page were his own personal opinions and do not reflect the views of the Chilliwack Board of Education,” the statement began.
“The Board of Education strongly believes that its schools need to be safe and welcoming places for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion or background, and that all students deserve to be welcomed, included and respected in a safe learning environment while being fully and completely themselves.”