By Mike Vanden Bosch

Legal decision

Former Chilliwack trustee ordered to pay $750,000 for violating B.C. Human Rights Code

Feb 19, 2026 | 12:40 PM

CHILLIWACK — The B.C. Teachers’ Federation says it is applauding a decision handed down by a human rights tribunal that orders a former Chilliwack trustee to pay $750,000 for violating B.C.’s Human Rights Code.

According to a statement, the BCTF says the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has affirmed the rights of LGBTQ teachers and individuals to be free from discrimination, including attacks on trans identity as gender ideology.

In 2017, the Chilliwack Teachers’ Association and the BCTF launched a human rights complaint against Barry Neufeld, who had been serving as a Chilliwack school board member. The BCTF asserted that Neufeld published numerous statements online that discriminated against LGBTQ teachers in Chilliwack and that his statements were likely to expose them to hatred or contempt.

In the decision released Wednesday, the Tribunal found that Neufeld 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 concluded that school trustees have a role in maintaining positive school environments and anti-discrimination policies. The Tribunal said Neufeld’s numerous public posts were likely to expose LGBTQ people to hatred or contempt based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Legal decision

Former Chilliwack trustee ordered to pay $750,000 for violating B.C. Human Rights Code

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The BCTF says the decision highlights Neufeld’s statements on SOGI 123 and the risk for LGBTQ 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,” the BCTF said.

This denial “pushes the idea that trans people have an agenda rather than being just another demographic group. As this decision illustrates, such terms can create the conditions for discrimination and hatred to flourish,” the Tribunal found.

The complaint was heard by a panel of three members of the BC Human Rights Tribunal over several days in 2024 and 2025, concluding on May 21, 2025. The final decision of the Tribunal was issued on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The $750,000 penalty will need to be enforced by the complainant, not the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner of B.C. or the Human Rights Tribunal.

“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,” Chilliwack Teachers Association president Reid 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.”