Social-media photo of Richard Bilkszto (1963-2023).
Humiliated by a race "expert" hired by the board to preach anti-black racism dogma, left hung to dry by his peers and cancelled by his TDSB superiors, the celebrated principal took his own life last week.
Comment: R.I.P. Richard Bilkszto.
"There is no question that these events and the lack of support from the TDSB caused him intense stress and mental suffering," said his lawyer Lisa Bildy, who called him a "highly accomplished leader in the field of adult education" over a 24-year career.
Bilkszto just filed a $750k lawsuit against the board alleging beach of contract, defamation of character and reprisal by the board's senior administrators after he was repeatedly labelled a "white supremacist," shamed and humiliated at two anti-racism indoctrination sessions run by Kike Ojo Thompson and her KOJO Institute.
The lawsuit has yet to be served on the board, says Bildy, adding that it's up to his family to decide whether to continue.
His crime: He challenged, politely, Ojo-Thompson when she contended at one of her indoctrination sessions that Canada is far more racist than our neighbours south of the border.
The sessions during which Bilkszto became her target occurred on April 26 and May 3, 2021.
As I reported in a 2021 story, Ojo-Thompson has repeatedly been the contractor of choice for TDSB education director Colleen Russell-Rawlins both when she was the Peel District School board and when she transferred to the TDSB.
According to Bilkszto's claim, after retiring from full-time teaching in early 2019, he became a sought-after casual principal.
He received accolades for his work from both the board brass and the trustee for the area.
That was until Ojo-Thompson got into the act.
Comment: Meet Kike Ojo-Thompson:
© Unknown
Ojo-Thompson didn't confine herself to rebuking Bilkszto in that moment. She also allegedly attacked Bilkszto in a subsequent lecture as exemplifying the forces of white supremacist "resistance." In Ojo-Thompson's view, her original treatment of Bilkszto had presented everyone with a valuable template for how they should respond when "accosted by white supremacy."
At the April 26, 2021 session, the contractor issued a torrent of nonsensical oppression-speak about Canada and residents with white privilege: "We are stepping on necks we are kneeling on necks, we are Derek Chauvin-ing a whole group of people," she said. (Derek was the police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.)
"Patriarchy is killing you, capitalism is killing you and white supremacy is taking your soul," she continued.
(She, of course, ignored the irony of being a capitalist herself who has collected tens of thousands of dollars of public money from her ridiculous sessions.)
According to the statement of claim, when Bilkszto politely challenged the contractor about her contentions - based on his experience teaching at an inner-city school in Buffalo, Ojo-Thompson tried to slice and dice him in front of some 200 administrators with the board.
"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 lectured him.
I listened to the tape of this and other interchanges and her tone was aggressive, bordering on cruel and patronizing, implying how dare she be questioned.
The lawsuit claims says she ended that session by contending she got out the "weed whacker" to cut down a weed (Bilkszto).
"I was hot today," she is quoted as saying, rather malevolently. "It was good. It was really good."
No one stood up for Bilkszto at that session or the subsequent one a week later, at which Ojo-Thompson allegedly continued to harass him, repeatedly calling his response a week before "resistance in support of white supremacy."
Ojo-Thompson, seemingly out for blood, subsequently suggested that the TDSB take action against Bilkszto for allegedly choosing not to "unlearn" his white supremacism.
His reputation in tatters and suffering from emotional distress, a WSIB claim ruled in his favour and he was granted loss of earnings until July 1 of 2021.
The adjudicator said in the WSIB ruling that the speaker's conduct was "abusive, egregious and vexatious" and can be considered "workplace harassment and bullying."
But instead of acknowledging that fact, the TDSB doubled down and reneged on the contract to hire Bilkszto at Burnhamthorpe Collegiate when he returned from sick leave. He had other contracts revoked and failed to get other internal positions as well, the claim alleges.
He was bullied, cancelled and treated with disdain bordering on malevolence for speaking up about the anti-racism bafflegab spoon-fed by empowered black activists at the behest of an education director who has divided the board into oppressors (white students/teachers) and the oppressed (black students/teachers and her cabal of like-minded superintendents).
It is sickening to think how much they've abused their power.
Efforts to reach Ojo-Thompson were unsuccessful. In fact she blocked me on Twitter after I sent her a request for a comment.
She also blocked others for commenting on her abusive behaviour.
The TDSB issued a statement through spokesperson Ryan Bird saying: "Our hearts go out to Richard's family and loved ones. He was a strong advocate - particularly to those in adult and alternative education - and worked tirelessly to create an environment that fostered students success for students of all ages."
Comment: Repeating what was said above (assuming the TDSB was front and centre) "No one stood up for Bilkszto at that session or the subsequent one a week later..."
However, the cowards that would not stand for Richard when in great need (and later did other malicious things when he tried to reapply after being validated by the Health & Safety Board), then offered up what looks to be empty platitudes that our "hearts go out" to the family, et cetera.
May those responsible at the TDSB deeply reflect on what they have allowed to have happen, and send Ojo-Thompson packing, never to return.
Social media has been abuzz for the past two days about this tragic end to the life of a wonderful educator.
The consensus is that there needs to be a more concerted effort to expose these DEI-for-hire bullies.
I knew Richard. He was one of the good guys.
Reader Comments
They are pathetic.