Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld has put out a public plea to raise $60,000 to support his case that will be heard next month at the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa.
The controversial school trustee who is not permitted inside Chilliwack schools because of his anti-LGBTQ+ views said his case is about fighting 鈥渢o protect his right to have access to children.鈥�
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It was on his Barry Neufeld YouTube channel that he posted a video on Sept. 12 titled 鈥淧rayer for nine Supreme Court Justices of Canada.鈥�
鈥淏arry Neufeld is going to the Supreme Court of Canada to protect his right to have access to children,鈥� reads the synopsis under the video. 鈥淭he nine Supreme Court Justices will decide if he, or people of like mind, will continue to be able to have contact with children.鈥�
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) hearing Neufeld referred to, which will be attended by lawyers only, is slated to go ahead on Oct. 11. The hearing comes after ex-BCTF head Glen Hansman was granted leave in January 2022 to appeal a B.C. Court of Appeal鈥檚 decision to dismiss a civil defamation lawsuit against Neufeld.
Hansman has referred to Neufeld鈥檚 behaviour and comments about the SOGI 123 inclusion materials in schools discriminatory, hateful, transphobic, and he has said Neufeld 鈥渟houldn鈥檛 be anywhere near students.鈥�
Neufeld was censured by the Chilliwack Board of Education in 2020 for ethical violations, disallowed from entering schools, and banned from in-camera board meetings.
More recently he put out the fundraising plea for his legal battle against Hansman, and was filmed reading Psalm 3 in the Riverside Calvary Chapel in 91原创 in what he described as 鈥渁 prayer meeting of the education sector鈥� on Sept 8.
鈥淭his psalm is particularly poignant to me because he鈥檚 assembled a gang of 12 groups who are going along with him, and they鈥檙e going against me in the Supreme Court of Canada.
鈥淚鈥檓 not allowed to take any intervenors,鈥� Neufeld stated, to which someone in the church gasped audibly.
In fact he submitted three suggested intervenors on his behalf, which were rejected by the high court.
Neufeld adds, 鈥淗ere鈥檚 who I am up against,鈥� and lists the names of those granted intervenor status: The Attorney General of B.C., Canadian Human Rights Commission, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Community-Based Research Centre, Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund, and more.
鈥淲hat if I lose? If I lose then Mr. Hansman will have proved his point that anybody who doesn鈥檛 support the gay or transgender lifestyle is unfit to be around children,鈥� Neufeld said, adding 鈥渋t鈥檚 important that I win.鈥�
At issue in the civil suit is whether Hansman鈥檚 statements about Neufeld constituted fair comment, and whether Neufeld鈥檚 original defamation lawsuit should be tossed out.
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Timeline of events:
October 2018 鈥� Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld against Glen Hansman who was then the president of the B.C. Teachers鈥� Federation. Hansman responded by filing a counter suit through the Protection of Public Participation Act (PPPA)
November 2019 鈥� B.C. Supreme Court Justice Alan Ross Neufeld鈥檚 lawsuit citing the PPPA
November 2020 鈥� The B.C. Court of Appeal hears of lower court鈥檚 dismissal
June 9, 2021 鈥� The B.C. Court of Appeal , ordering defamation lawsuit to continue
January 12, 2022 鈥� The Supreme Court of Canada agrees to hear Hansman鈥檚 appeal of the B.C. Court of Appeal decision.
June 28, 2022 鈥� Appeal hearing scheduled for Oct. 11, 2022.
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