The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has taken legal action against the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) on behalf of former teacher Carolyn Burjoski. .“Ms. Burjoski is a former teacher with sincere concerns about the appropriateness of the sexual content being shared with elementary school-aged children in Waterloo Region schools,” said JCCF lawyer Jorge Pineda in a Monday press release..“The Board’s decision to silence her not only deprives her of her right to freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also deprives the public of hearing an informed dissenting voice on an issue that affects their children.”.Burjoski was expelled from a WRDSB meeting after she objected to board decisions to ban library books deemed harmful and include those about sexuality for elementary school students. .She attended the meeting in January and attempted to make a presentation to express her views, saying these books sexualize children and disregard risks associated with gender transitions. .She read a passage from Rick by Alex Gino, which is about a young boy whose friend talks about naked girls all the time. The boy decides he is asexual because he does not fantasize about naked girls. .The presentation included a passage from The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessy, which is about a girl who takes puberty blockers and testosterone to become a boy. Burjoski said The Other Boy “makes it seem simple or even cool to take puberty blockers and opposite sex hormones.”.Burjoski’s presentation was cut off after four minutes by WRDSB chair Scott Piatkowski, who alleged it had violated the Ontario Human Rights Code. The board voted to uphold Piatkowski’s decision, and she was kicked out of the meeting. .JCCF lawyers will argue in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice the decision to silence Burjoski violated her freedom of expression guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. .“It’s difficult to imagine how a free society can properly function without vigorously protecting free expression, particularly expression that is deemed offensive or unpopular,” said Pineda. .“The Board’s decision to silence Ms. Burjoski, based on the false claim that her views violate the Human Rights Code, demonstrates a serious lack of understanding and respect for basic democratic principles and cannot go unchallenged.”.Burjoski has filed a defamation lawsuit against the WRDSB and Piatkowski, seeking $1.75 million in damages. .“School boards are using language and human rights legislation as weapons to silence anyone who questions them,” she said. .“In my view, the message to all teachers is clear — if you speak up, you will be punished.”
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) has taken legal action against the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) on behalf of former teacher Carolyn Burjoski. .“Ms. Burjoski is a former teacher with sincere concerns about the appropriateness of the sexual content being shared with elementary school-aged children in Waterloo Region schools,” said JCCF lawyer Jorge Pineda in a Monday press release..“The Board’s decision to silence her not only deprives her of her right to freedom of expression under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also deprives the public of hearing an informed dissenting voice on an issue that affects their children.”.Burjoski was expelled from a WRDSB meeting after she objected to board decisions to ban library books deemed harmful and include those about sexuality for elementary school students. .She attended the meeting in January and attempted to make a presentation to express her views, saying these books sexualize children and disregard risks associated with gender transitions. .She read a passage from Rick by Alex Gino, which is about a young boy whose friend talks about naked girls all the time. The boy decides he is asexual because he does not fantasize about naked girls. .The presentation included a passage from The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessy, which is about a girl who takes puberty blockers and testosterone to become a boy. Burjoski said The Other Boy “makes it seem simple or even cool to take puberty blockers and opposite sex hormones.”.Burjoski’s presentation was cut off after four minutes by WRDSB chair Scott Piatkowski, who alleged it had violated the Ontario Human Rights Code. The board voted to uphold Piatkowski’s decision, and she was kicked out of the meeting. .JCCF lawyers will argue in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice the decision to silence Burjoski violated her freedom of expression guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. .“It’s difficult to imagine how a free society can properly function without vigorously protecting free expression, particularly expression that is deemed offensive or unpopular,” said Pineda. .“The Board’s decision to silence Ms. Burjoski, based on the false claim that her views violate the Human Rights Code, demonstrates a serious lack of understanding and respect for basic democratic principles and cannot go unchallenged.”.Burjoski has filed a defamation lawsuit against the WRDSB and Piatkowski, seeking $1.75 million in damages. .“School boards are using language and human rights legislation as weapons to silence anyone who questions them,” she said. .“In my view, the message to all teachers is clear — if you speak up, you will be punished.”
