Former principal who sued TDSB over alleged bullying during anti-racism training dies by suicide

Earlier this year, Bilkszto sued the school board, alleging that his reputation was “systematically demolished” during two anti-Black racism training sessions in the spring of 2021 when, after he challenged some of the speaker’s comments, he was singled out and accused of supporting white supremacy.

Bilkszto allegedly suffered “severe emotional distress” and had to take a stress leave as a result. He filed a “mental stress injury” claim to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, which allowed the claim and provided compensation for two months of lost earnings.

The WSIB adjudicator wrote in their decision that they were “satisfied that the conduct of the speaker on April 26, 2021 and May 3, 2021 was abusive, egregious and vexatious, and rises to the level of workplace harassment and bullying.”

Bilkszto’s lawyer, Lisa Bildy, announced Bilkszto’s death on Thursday, posting a statement on Twitter.

In the statement, Bildy said the “stress and effects” of the incidents in 2021 “continued to plague” Bilkszto in the years since. “Last week he succumbed to this distress.”

Experts say suicide is rarely caused by a single circumstance or event, and there are usually many contributing factors that have developed over a period of time.

The school board released a short statement on Friday, acknowledging Bilkszto’s death without mentioning his lawsuit.

“Our hearts go out to Richard’s family and loved ones,” TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird wrote in an email. “He was a strong advocate for students — particularly those in adult and alternative education — and worked tirelessly to create an environment that fostered student success for students of all ages.”

Bilkszto’s lawsuit, which has not been tested in court, includes a summary of what allegedly occurred in the training sessions.

The sessions were led by Kike Ojo-Thompson, founder of the KOJO Institute, a consulting firm that provides anti-racist training to organizations in both the public and private sector, including large corporations, governments and several school boards. (The Toronto Star has also previously hired the company.)

The conflict arose after Ojo-Thompson is alleged to have suggested that Canada was more racist than the U.S., in part because Canada has “never reckoned with its anti-Black history” in the way the U.S. has.

Bilkszto, who previously taught high school in Buffalo, N.Y., disagreed with the statement. He said it would be “an incredible disservice to our learners” to suggest the U.S. is a more just society than Canada.

Bilkszto’s lawsuit alleges Ojo-Thompson reacted “with vitriol.”

“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?” she said, according to Bilkszto’s lawsuit.

Bilkszto claims he tried to de-escalate the situation, admitting there was anti-Black racism in Canada but argued that the evidence suggests “we are a far more just society” than the U.S.

At this point, according to Bilkszto’s lawsuit, another KOJO facilitator intervened, saying what Bilkszto was bringing up was not relevant.

The facilitator allegedly said if Bilkszto wanted to be “an apologist” for Canada or the U.S. the session was “not the forum for that.”

Another session was held a week later. At the beginning of the session, according to Bilkszto’s lawsuit, Ojo-Thompson referred to what happened the previous week and described it as a “real-life” example of resistance in support of white supremacy.

Bilkszto claims in his lawsuit that the statement, among others, implicitly referred to him as a racist and white supremacist.

The Star had begun reporting on the lawsuit prior to Bilkszto’s death.

In a July 7 statement, the KOJO Institute said it disputes many of the allegations in Bilkszto’s lawsuit against the TDSB, “including the descriptions of interactions with KOJO Institute staff which paint an inaccurate and incomplete picture” of what happened in the sessions.

They said it would be “inappropriate” to comment further since the matter was before the courts.

The TDSB has not yet filed a statement of defence. They would not address specific allegations in Bilkszto’s lawsuit. (The WSIB decision that awarded Bilkszto compensation in 2021 states the school board did not dispute his version of events.)

Following Bilkszto’s death, KOJO Institute provided a written statement offering condolences to Bilkszto’s loved ones. The statement also said that any interaction with individual employees during the sessions was “brief” and that they had “no involvement” in any investigation by the school board or the WSIB following the sessions.

In addition to claiming reputational damage, Bilkszto’s lawsuit also alleges the incidents led to him losing contract work with the board.

He alleges that after his six-week medical leave in 2021 the TDSB refused to reinstate him at his previous contract position. He alleges the decision was the result of either “reputational damage” or as reprisal for his WSIB claim. He also alleges that a promised 10-week contract to work at another school in 2022 was revoked.

In recent months, Bilkszto became outspoken in his opposition to various initiatives aimed at reducing inequity in education.

In May he appeared on The Agenda with Steve Paikin and criticized the school board’s new lottery system for specialized schools, arguing that it was anti-meritocratic.

“Ultimately, he was concerned with fairness and respect for all learners,” reads his lawyer’s statement — “a mission from which he thought public education was straying.”

Ahmed Patel, one of Bilkszto’s former students at the City Adult Learning Centre, told the Star that Bilkszto helped him turn his life around when he was in danger of giving up on school.

“The education excellence that he instilled in me motivated me to move on in life, on to bigger things,” Patel said. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at www.crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

With files from Janet Hurley