Canadian Principal’s Suicide After Alleged Bullying for His ‘Whiteness’ in CRT Training Sparks Investigation

A Toronto school board and an education minister announced they are launching investigations Thursday into a professional development training after a former principal died by suicide following a lawsuit in which he alleged emotional distress from antiracist trainings and the fallout that followed. The sessions included concepts from critical race theory.

Before his death, Richard Bilkszto, a 60-year-old former principal, sued the Toronto District School Board for emotional distress after he attended a training where he was accused of being a racist.

Bilkszto alleged in his lawsuit that Kike Ojo-Thompson – who runs an equity firm called the KOJO Institute – said that Canada was racist and has “never reckoned with its anti-Black history.” When Bilkszto disagreed with the instructor and challenged her comments, he was condemned for appearing to undermine a Black woman, the lawsuit said.

“We are here to talk about anti-Black racism, but you in your whiteness think that you can tell me what’s really going on for Black people” Ojo-Thompson said, according to the lawsuit filed by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.

Ojo-Thompson was not directly sued by Bilkszto – it was directed at the district. She has denied the allegations in FAIR’s lawsuit and did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

The principal also alleged he was called a “White supremacist” for sharing his beliefs. The fallout from the training catapulted into further issues relating to the matter, and the family believes it was a hostile environment that took a serious toll on Bilkszto’s mental health.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce called the allegations raised by Bilkszto “serious and disturbing” Thursday. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital that his staff will launch a review and present action items to ensure “this never happens again.”

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KOJO, who ran the training in question, is an equity consultant which promulgates critical race theory. {snip}

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“We know that anti-Black racism is operating within education because of the outcomes we see for Black students,” Ojo-Thompson said. She further claimed that racism is embedded within all systems, and offers consulting to corporations, governments, etc.

During a follow-up session a week later, Ojo-Thompson allegedly recalled their disagreement from the first session and used Bilkszto’s efforts to challenge her claims as a “real-life” example of someone supporting White supremacy.

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The KOJO Institute previously released a statement, which said, “The death of Richard Bilkszto is a tragedy and all of us at KOJO Institute offer our condolences to his loved ones.”

It denied all allegations and added, “This incident is being weaponized to discredit and suppress the work of everyone committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

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