An Ontario school board is facing a defamation lawsuit from former teacher Carolyn Burjoski after the board and its chair accused her of making “transphobic” comments during a presentation to the board over the material accessible in school libraries.
Carolyn Burjoski filed the lawsuit after a presentation she was giving to the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) was cut short in January 2022 by then-chair Scott Piatkowski, who said she was violating the Human Rights Code by questioning the content of books available in school libraries. During the presentation, Ms. Burjoski was discussing books that she believed made it “seem simple or even cool to take puberty blockers and opposite sex hormones,” according to court documents.
In response to the accusations, she filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Piatkowski and the board. In September 2023, WRDSB filed an anti-SLAPP motion requesting the courts dismiss the lawsuit.
Justice James Ramsay ruled against the board on Nov. 23, allowing Ms. Burjoski to proceed with her lawsuit. He stated that the Human Rights Code “does not prohibit public discussion of anything” and that Mr. Piatkowski’s characterization of her comments as transphobic and hateful was defamatory according to his interpretation. WRDSB has applied to appeal Justice Ramsay’s decision and have the defamation case thrown out.
Ms. Burjoski expressed on her website, CancelledTeacher.com that the legal battle has been emotionally and financially draining, and noted that her legal fees had totaled over $90,000 so far, saying on her website she plans to “fight this to the finish.” The Epoch Times reached out to WRDSB but did not hear back by publication time.
In addition to the defamation lawsuit, Ms. Burjoski also filed a court action to review the board’s decision to stop her presentation. On Nov. 29, Ontario’s Divisional Court ruled against her in that case, saying the school board was within its rights to stop her presentation. She has appealed that court decision.