Laurie Throness resigned from Chilliwack School Board on Thursday (Feb. 26) stating he no longer feels “safe” in the wake of the $750,000 human-rights decision against former trustee Barry Neufeld for hate speech.
Throness posted the decision to resign as trustee was “effective immediately” on his social media, noting that the Neufeld ruling from the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has placed a chill on public discourse.
“I can longer do my job,” said Throness. “All democratically-elected officials must feel comfortable to speak their mind without worrying about accusations of workplace discrimination.
“Since I no longer feel safe in expressing myself on the board in legitimate ways, the only proper course is to resign.”
The BCHRT decision said Neufeld violated sections 7(1)(a), (b), and 13 of the Human Rights Code.
Six of Neufeld’s 30 “publications” reviewed by the tribunal 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.
Neufeld called gender-affirming support for trans children “child abuse” as one example.
Throness said his freedom to speak to board issues going forward has been “obstructed” adding that while the B.C. Human Right Tribunal decision expresses support for freedom of speech, “there is a fine line between speech that falls afoul of the Human Rights Code and speech that doesn’t.”
It could have a silencing effect on B.C. school boards, the former MLA said.
“Few are qualified to make such subtle legal distinctions, particularly in the heat of public debate, and since no trustee wants to undergo a legal ordeal followed by a devastating fine as Neufeld did, no one will dare, in any school board across the Province, to remark on sensitive topics like gender or inclusivity, even when a trustee feels it would be in the public interest to do so.”
Throness added: ‘The effect of the judgment is clear; it is a warning and a threat that places an absolute-zero chill upon public discourse and the freedom of speech of elected trustees.
“While affirming the freedom of speech on paper, the result of the Tribunal’s decision is to destroy it.
In the wake of Tumbler Ridge, Throness said he wanted “to call for the suspension of SOGI as a teaching resource” until an inquest could determine whether it had an impact on the mental health of the shooter “but I felt I couldn’t do that as a trustee – so I’m doing it now.”
The BC Legislature should be the forum for regulating the speech of school trustees.
Throness added: “I call upon the BC Legislature to affirm the freedom of speech upon which democracy relies, and pass a bill placing the speech of school board trustees, municipal councillors and regional district directors outside the purview of the tribunal.’
He added that since the School Act, S.36(2) states that if a trustee resigns after Jan. 1 during an election year, no by-election would be needed, and since elections are coming in October, taxpayers will save approximately $15,000 in Throness’s remuneration.
Throness was elected trustee in a costly by-election in 2025 which was triggered when another trustee resigned in order to run for an MLA seat in the B.C. Legislature.