LATEST PODCAST: IDEOLOGY CAN KILL

The lethal cruelty of the "Be Kind" set

This week, two stories emerged that were totally different yet connected by a sad truth: the post C-19/Diversity, Equity and Inclusion epoch is draped in a veil of cruelty, one that exists in a guise of high moral purpose and public service. It is as ugly as every moment a scared, elderly parent was forced to die alone without comfort and as sinister as an experimental vaccine wrapped not in neutral data but rather Big Pharma’s talking points. Two men tragically died in different Ontario cities - many miles apart but both were killed by the same expanding threat: unchecked leftist ideology playing out in our captured institutions. Listen to the podcast here and please comment below.

The death of a popular high school principal, named Richard Bilkszto gained attention around the world after he committed suicide — perhaps connected to the DEI industry, in this case an anti-racist training event lead by a consultant on contract with the Toronto and District School board. Here is his story as investigated and compensated for by Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board - WSIB.

You are employed as a Principal Replacement, Retired Secondary for Toronto District School Board. You have been employed here since September 1, 1997. 

You report a sudden onset of mental stress after two sessions with a public ally speaking on equity on April 26, 2021 and May 3, 2021. You sought medical attention due to your symptoms with your family doctor, Dr. , and began treatment with a psychologist, Dr. , on May 11, 2021. You were in regular treatments with Dr. and followed up with Dr. on June 6, 2021. 

As per the Health Professional’s Report (Form 8) completed on June 6, 2021, you were diagnosed with anxiety secondary to traumatic workplace events, and you were advised to remain off work until August 21, 2021. In the letter from Dr. , dated June 21, 2021, you were further recommended to remain off work until July 1, 2021. 

Jonathan Kay did some brilliant reporting.

In late April, 2021, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trainer named Kike Ojo-Thompson presented a lecture to senior Toronto public-school administrators, instructing them on the virulent racism that (Ojo-Thompson believes) afflicts Canadian society. Canada, she said, is a bastion of “white supremacy and colonialism,” in which the horrors unleashed by capitalism and sexism regularly lay waste to the lives of non-white and female Canadians.

Anyone who lives in Canada knows this to be a preposterous claim. But in the wake of the George Floyd protests, which opportunistic DEI entrepreneurs in Canada treated as a gold rush, such lies have been treated as unfalsifiable. The same is true of the (equally preposterous) claim that Canada’s experience with anti-black racism directly mirrors that of the United States. And so it was expected that Ojo-Thompson’s audience would simply nod politely and keep their mouths shut until her jeremiad had concluded.

But one audience member refused to submit: Richard Bilkszto, a long-time principal at the Toronto District School Board who’d also once taught at an inner-city school in upstate New York. Having worked on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, he told Ojo-Thompson that her generalizations about the two countries seemed misguided; and that denouncing Canada in such a vicious manner would do “an incredible disservice to our learners.”

National Post columnist Jamie Sarkonak describes what happened after Bilkszto began speaking up:

Ojo-Thompson is described to have 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?’ Bilkszto replied that racism is very real, and that there’s plenty of room for improvement—but that the facts still show Canada is a fairer place. Another KOJO training facilitator [KOJO Institute is the name of Ojo-Thompson’s company] jumped in, telling Bilkszto that ‘if you want to be an apologist for the U.S. or Canada, this is really not the forum for that.’ Ojo-Thompson concluded the exchange by telling the class that ‘your job in this work as white people is to believe’—not to question—claims of racism.

From Jonathan Kay:

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.”

The quotations in both of these stories are backed up by transcripts in a lawsuit, filed by Bilkszto — that I’ve seen. His case for mental stress appeared to be strong and the WSIB case manager went far. Below is from WSIB’s report and acceptance of his claim.

Based on the information on file, I am 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 

The evidence demonstrates that the speaker purposefully chose to address you publically twice, on April 26, 2021 and May 3, 2021, calling you a white supremacist and resistor in front of two hundred colleagues and senior administrators. This conduct took place for over an hour, and noting that the speaker had sufficient opportunity to address you privately between April 26, 2021 and May 3, 2021, it would suggest that the speaker did so with the intent to cause reputational damage and to “make an example” of you. You were also referred to as a “problem” that had to be dealt with. This is supported by the email provided by the employer, that was sent from the Vice Chair of the TSAA, Mr. Nigro, who was also present at this meeting and your employer does not dispute your recounting of the events. 

Noting the above, I am satisfied that there is the presence of a substantial work-related stressor, and as such, I am allowing entitlement for the diagnosis of anxiety. 

During his humiliation, captured on Zoom, dozens of his colleagues and superiors stoody by in silence watching. After a successful, decades-long career, Richard Bilkszto’s was effectively finished — after making a simple factual challenge to a DEI consultant.

Of course the uber-woke Toronto Star weighed in — not with journalism but an opinion piece from Shree Paradkar — its racial and social justice columnist who, without a qualifier, definitely states Bilkzsto’s suicidal ideation was not linked to what the WSIB had already deemed traumatic and anxiety making events. Those events lead to his career faltering. Of course, suicide is complex and multifactorial. He may have been tired of the fight or feeling robbed of his professional identity - or frustrated that he was left to fend for himself by some colleagues and the school board. But being falsely accused of anything is psychologically devastating — even if it isn’t criminality — and a public racism shaming in our current climate would feel like a devastating blow. People accused of racism or supporting white supremacy have few courses for remedy.

The training sessions were recorded on Zoom and Paradkar obtained all or part of them, possibly from the anti-racism trainer whom she seems to know. However, the important graphs are also transcribed and appear in the filings by Biltszko’s lawyer. They support what the WSIB found and what witnesses who offered testimony reported. Even so, this was Paradkar’s take.

And of course the Toronto Star itself partook of the very same workshops — according to a Tweet by Paradkar.

I would like to have heard some deep thinking about what happened here. Some promise of contemplation that perhaps these DEI sessions go too far and must be changed — that perhaps there should be professional standards ensuring the trainers don’t harm their clients. But that has hasn’t happened. In fact, a fan of DEI training even blamed Richard himself, suggesting he was distraught because he’d been publicly confronted by a black woman.

Investigations have been launched. The status of Bilkzsto’s lawsuit against the board is unknown. Late last week, Kike Ojo-Thompson, who lead the anti-racism seminar said she welcomed the Ontario Ministry of Education’s review the review.

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,” Ojo-Thompson’s statement said.

The ministry is essentially investigating itself here. How about a coroner’s inquest?

Our second story was about Garnet Harper, a young man from Sudbury who died waiting for a kidney transplant that wouldn’t come unless he bent a knee to the vaccine Gods. His wife Meghan tells us about his life and death and why the fight against vaccine mandates meant so much to him. Our medical system is captured and truly broken. Below is Garnet, Meghan and four of their five kids.

Stay critical.

And spend a few quiet moments thinking of Richard and Garnet - where do we go from here?

Please comment below.