Black activists concerned people are 'weaponizing' a school principal's suicide against DEI

This post takes us to Hamilton, Ontario, home of the government-funded CBC Hamilton, which tells us that black students, teachers, politicians, and advocates fear that people are using a principal's suicide to "weaponize" against DEI programs and the like. DEI is poison, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has led the charge in rooting it out of universities there by cutting off funding.

Black students, teachers and politicians in Hamilton concerned about rhetoric after Toronto principal's death. https://t.co/dlz9tNfoDN #HamOnt

— CBC Hamilton (@CBCHamilton) August 9, 2023

Bobby Hristova reports:

Black students, teachers, politicians and advocates from Hamilton gathered Friday, voicing concerns about the rhetoric around a Toronto principal who died by suicide, saying people are weaponizing his death to push back against anti-racism efforts.

Richard Bilkszto was a 60-year-old Toronto District School Board principal who died by suicide in July.

He filed a lawsuit against the school board earlier this year, related to a 2021 online anti-racism training session where he claims to have been implicitly referred to as a white supremacist by the trainer and berated in front of his colleagues when he disagreed that Canada was more racist than the U.S.

…

Kike Ojo-Thompson, chief executive officer of the KOJO Institute and the anti-racism trainer accused of denigrating Bilkszto, said the accusations are false and mischaracterize what happened.

Ojo-Thompson calls Bilkszto's death a tragedy and offers her condolences to his family, but also said his death has been weaponized to discredit and suppress anti-racism efforts.

"My condolences to that white supremacist's family."

Absolutely incredible that your reporter couldn't find space to mention that the WSIB has already investigated and found that the DEI training was bullying and abusive. I guess you needed the extra space for all the people claiming the whole thing was made up

— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) August 9, 2023

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Embarrassing reporting.@CBCHamilton

— Industrious1 (@Industrious112) August 9, 2023

The HWDSB director is at the eye of this controversy so naturally they must double down.

— @SvilenKonacBlog (@svilenkonacblog) August 9, 2023

Yes, I hope all those who are, you know, still alive, don't feel too fussed about the "rhetoric". I gather they can still sleep at night despite what would for normal people be a crushing weight on their consciences.

— jleqc (@jleqc) August 9, 2023

The crass attitude to Bilkszto's suicide is just contemptible. "How can I make this about me" writ large.

— Rudy Ambiento (@RudyAmbiento) August 9, 2023

They need to really speak loudly and subtly "change the narrative" from the awful blatant hateful behaviour of K O-T of the KOJO Institute.

It's rich that they're so concerned about "rhetoric" when they're so adept at manipulative word-play.

— Mike Moore (@krusty627) August 9, 2023

I think they should have played the recording of the @KojoInstitute training first because I’m pretty sure nobody there has heard it.

— Cathy Erb (@cathy_erb49406) August 9, 2023

"weaponized to discredit and suppress anti-racism efforts."

No, what discredits anti-anything efforts are people who should not be giving presentations on sensitive issues.

I listened to some of the recordings and the DEI training was unprofessional at best.

I would've left.

— AJ (@AndrewJayabc) August 9, 2023

Will @bobbyhristova reveal how much KOJO has earned from taxpayers for this training? It's very findable information and shocking.

KOJO requires a steady supply of racism to maintain its revenue stream. It's shameful that both Green and Jama are supportive of such a company.

— Mike Moore (@krusty627) August 9, 2023

The DEI activists and CBC are concerned about “rhetoric”. Canadians are concerned about Richard Bilkszto and his loved ones. 😡

See the difference?

— Dave Rils (@DRils) August 9, 2023

They concerned that they can’t charge $7000 a day to show a PowerPoint while driving a Lexus and yelling racism to the white people in the room.

— openhbar (@openhbar) August 9, 2023

The real victims of the suicide: Black students, teachers, politicians, and advocates

— Pasha Khan (@PashaKhan12345) August 9, 2023

Maybe those "anti-racism" efforts deserve a second look. Can you believe this man disagreed that Canada was less racist than the United States? White privilege, right?

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