An anti-racism instructor was recorded mocking and laughing at a beloved Toronto principal who challenged her teachings — holding him up as an example of white supremacy “resistance,” according to a report.
Richard Bilkszto, 60, later committed suicide.
Bilkszto’s July death came after diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, instructor Kike Ojo-Thompson proclaimed Canada was more racist than the United States, a statement the principal pushed back on.
Ojo-Tho🌃mpson was hired by the 🌺Toronto District School Board in 2021 to provide four DEI training sessions to staff.
“You and your whiteness think that you can tell me what’s really going on with black people,” she told Bilkszto, according to a lawsuit filed by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism against the school b🐬oard🐓.
But the attacks didn’t stop there.
In audio , Ojo-Thompson brought it up again at the fol🐻lowing session a week late൲r.
“One of the ways that white supremacy is upheld, protected, reproduced, upkept, defended is through resistance and, like I said … I’m so lucky,” she said before laughi🦩ng.
“Who would’ve thought my luck would show up so well last week that we got perfect evidence, a wonderful 🐎example of resistance that you all got to bear witness to, so we’re going to talk about it, because, I mean, it doesn’t get better than ღthis,” she continued as others chimed in to back her up.
The next ℱday, Bilkszto filed for sick leave, according to The Free Press.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board looked into the incident and found that Ojo-Thompson’s conduct “was abusive, egregious and vexatious, and rises to the level of workplace harassment and bullying.”
Yet Bilkszto said his repꦯutation was nonetheless ruined. Following a six-week medical leave later that year, the district rཧefused to reinstate his contract.
Bilkszto claimed the refusal to reinstate the contract was a result of either his fallen reputation or as retr🍬ibution for having the WSIB investigate the incident.
“Unfortunately, the stress and effects of these incidents continued to plague Richard,” his attorney, Lisa Bildy, said in a statement at the time.
In a statement after his death, the KOJO institute disputed Bilkszto’s allegations an𒁃d said the lawsuit paints “an inaccurate and incomplete picture” of what occurred during the training sessions.
Th🅺e institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.
