Former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld ordered to pay $750K for violating Human Rights Code

Published 10:09 am Thursday, February 19, 2026

Former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld was ordered to pay $750,000 by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal for violating the Human Rights Code with “heated public speech” that could expose LGBTQ people to hatred or contempt.

The tribunal released its final decision Feb. 17, with two sets of orders in the matter of the B.C. Teachers Federation (on behalf of) the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association v. Neufeld, one was an order for payment of $750,000 in costs to the CTA, and the other is a concurrent order of $10,000 for improper conduct during the lengthy process.

Neufeld violated sections 7(1)(a), (b), and 13 of the Human Rights Code, the tribunal said.

The tribunal undertook an review of Neufeld’s statements to determine at which point his public discourse, or expression of political opinions slid into discriminatory rhetoric, or met the criteria for hate speech against a protected group.

The decision concludes that six of Neufeld’s 30 “publications” passed the test for hate speech, not just discriminatory language, which could “expose gay, lesbian, and trans people to hatred or contempt,” based on their gender identity and/or sexual orientation.

In one example, Neufeld called gender-affirming support for trans children akin to “child abuse.”

“Viewed objectively and in context, these publications have the potential to lead to their discriminatory treatment,” the decision said. “These publications violate s. 7(1)(b) of the Code.”

Neufeld’s lawyer, James Kitchen announced online this week that they would be seeking “a judicial review” of the tribunal’s decision at the B.C. Supreme Court.

Neufeld also released his own website statement: “The tribunal found me guilty of hate speech for refusing to agree that there are more than two genders and ordered me to pay $750,000 to the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association to compensate the hurt feelings of their queer union members.

“I am sure they know I can never begin to pay this, but it sets a precedent, and in the future, no one else will ever dare to criticize their sacred gender ideology. So I must try to overturn this draconian decision,” Neufeld said, adding that the plan is to apply for a judicial review, with a new round of fundraising.

The tribunal’s human-rights based decision about Neufeld states: “School trustees have a role in upholding positive school environments and anti-discrimination policies,” noting that some of his publications cited in the decision “demonized and delegitimized trans people.”

Neufeld became “one of its loudest critics” after SOGI resources were introduced, and during his tenure as trustee, and sought ways to fight it.

He not only likened gender-affirming care for youth to “child abuse,” but Neufeld revealed in another post on Dec. 18, 2017 how he saw his elected position in the school system: “thrown into the role of a prophet: speaking out to the lawmakers in Victoria and trying to motivate lukewarm Christians who are sitting idly by as all of society ‘slouches towards Gomorrah.’”

Neufeld’s anti-SOGI campaign, which included soliciting donations for legal costs while urging followers to “push back” against a “powerful” LGBTQ+ lobby group also saw him become a self-identified expert in “gender confusion.”

Neufeld labelled SOGI 123 a “weapon of propaganda” to instruct children in the “absurd theory that gender is not biologically determined, but a social construct.”

He wrote that he felt he belonged more in places like Russia or Paraguay, which “had the guts to stand up to these radical cultural nihilists.”

In a press release in reaction to the tribunal’s decision, the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association chronicled how the CTA and the BCTF initiated the human rights complaint against Neufeld, who was then serving as a Chilliwack School trustee, after many public statements he made that “discriminated against 2SLGBTQIA+ teachers in Chilliwack and were likely to expose them to hatred or contempt.”

CTA president Reid Clark emphasized how crucial it was to be able to provide a discrimination-free workplace.

“This ruling recognizes the very real harm experienced by 2SLGBTQIA+ teachers in Chilliwack and reinforces that they have the right to work in an environment free from discrimination and fear,” Clark said. “We are hopeful that this ruling will lead to more inclusive working and learning environments for all 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in schools and beyond.”

The tribunal’s decision describes how Neufeld’s language violated the Human Rights Code, stating: “For five years, Mr. Neufeld inundated public discourse in Chilliwack with speech that degraded and denied trans people, sought to eliminate public policies for their inclusion, and sounded alarms about an imaginary threat posed by their social acceptance.

“He spread misinformation and inflamed anti-LGBTQ animus in the district,” the tribunal’s reason for decision said.

The campaign was expressed in publications including social media posts, board meetings statements at rallies, and in online interviews, said the tribunal, in the reasons.

The BCTF tried to correct the constant misinformation by attesting to the fact that SOGI 123 was launched during the 2017-2018 school year, following similar provincial legislative protections, as a set of “tools and resources” aimed at supporting an inclusive learning environment for all students.

It’s not curriculum, as some mischaracterized it, nor is it mandatory for educators to use in their classrooms, they underlined.

Rather it acknowledges the reality and existence of 2SLGBTQIA+ people. It allows for different family structures, and the fact that one’s gender may not be the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. It recognizes that teachers are equipped to determine what information is age-appropriate for their students.

In the publications citied, Neufeld attacked “each of these three pillars” of SOGI-inclusive education.

“In doing so, he repeatedly and publicly reaffirmed his intention to perform the duties of a school trustee in a way that discriminated against LGBTQ people, especially trans people,” the tribunal said.

“In some publications, he expressly stated that he is using his position as a trustee to ‘speak out’ against SOGI-inclusive education before proceeding to do so in a discriminatory way.

“Even where not expressly stated, his intention is clear. Mr. Neufeld invoked negative and insidious stereotypes about LGBTQ people, especially trans people, which denied their inherent dignity and, in some cases, reflected the hallmarks of hate against them as a group.”

The recent decision underscores the impacts of the endless attacks on the protections offered by SOGI 123 and the risk for 2SLGBTQIA+ people who work with children, including teachers.

“Critically, the decision affirms that trans people exist—and that claiming to believe that gender identity is not separate from sex assigned at birth is a form of existential denial. This denial pushes the idea that trans people have an agenda rather than being just another demographic group,” the CTA said in their release.

”As this decision illustrates, such terms can create the ‘conditions for discrimination and hatred to flourish,’ as the tribunal found.”

BCTF president Carole Gordon called the decision a “huge win” for human rights in the context of public education.

”It affirms that discriminatory and hateful rhetoric has no place in our public education system – especially when it comes from someone entrusted with a leadership position,” Gordon stated in a release.

“The ruling highlights the value of SOGI 123, an evidence-based teaching resource for reducing discrimination-based harm. The BCTF will always stand firmly in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ students, families, and teachers. Today’s outcome sends a clear message: inclusion and respect are not optional in British Columbia’s schools.”