Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, has demanded a comprehensive review of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) following the suicide of Richard Bilkszto, a principal who had recently filed a lawsuit against the board. Bilkszto worked on a contract with the TDSB after he retired in 2019 and accused the board of failing to back him when he faced racism accusations during a professional training session.
His lawsuit was related to a 2021 anti-racism training session and alleged that he was clearly branded as a white supremacist and publicly condemned in front of colleagues. Further allegations suggested that the TDSB did not investigate his claims of workplace harassment and fought back by excluding him from graduation for a program he had helped create and revoking a temporary contract offer.
According to Lisa Bildy, Bilkszto’s lawyer, her client started a sick leave shortly after the training sessions and got a diagnosis of anxiety secondary to a workplace event. In August 2021, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) made a decision which concluded that Bilkszto had been made to encounter workplace harassment and bullying, granting him loss-of-earnings benefits up to July 1, 2021. Unfortunately, Bilkszto committed suicide later that month at the age of 60.
The Toronto School Administrators’ Association, which comprises principals and vice-principals at the TDSB, had also demanded an investigation into Bilkszto’s claims of workplace harassment. According to the association, no such investigation happened.
Lecce described the allegations as “serious and disturbing” and tasked his staff with reviewing the situation and recommending reforms for professional training and increasing accountability within school boards.
Bilkszto’s case has gained attention, especially from right-wing commentators that oppose the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion training and initiatives at Canada’s biggest school board. A statement released by Bilkszto’s family indicated that after his experiences with the board’s “equity agenda,” he started advocating for a more “equality-focused” approach.
Also, Bilkszto had kicked against the TDSB’s recent implementation of a lottery system for admitting students to specialized programs and schools in areas like arts or athletics, as opposed to using yardsticks like test scores or auditions. He co-founded the Toronto chapter of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, a U.S.-based group that advocates for a “colour-blindness” approach to race.
Though the TDSB has not responded to the allegations, the board has revealed that it shares the Ministry of Education’s desire to fully understand what transpired and has committed to aligning with any review. Bilkszto’s case highlights the dire need for accountability, transparency, and reform within educational institutions, especially regarding allegations of office harassment and the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
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