We demand an inquiry into the death of former Toronto District School Board principal Richard Bilkszto.

Richard served the TDSB for 24 years as a dedicated and passionate educator who retired several years ago but remained on as a contract principal. He was beloved by thousands of students whose lives he uplifted.

Today Richard is no longer with us. He ended his life on July 13, apparently due to mental distress stemming from bullying and harassment he sustained during two TDSB Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sessions in 2021, and the aftermath of those events. Ultimately, he was not able to cope and took his own life.

We need a full inquiry into the death of Richard Bilkszto, including:

• The role of TDSB officials before, during, and after these sessions
• The role of the facilitators during these sessions
• The awarding of contracts to all DEI trainers and facilitators by the TDSB
• A review of DEI content and training at TDSB and other school boards to ensure sessions are not used to target individuals, and to ensure respectful dialogue
• Workplace morale of staff in the TDSB

The TDSB claims to champion equity, diversity, and inclusion, while it failed to support a distinguished educator and an advocate for equality within its own organization. We request action to correct this egregious miscarriage of justice and honour the memory of Richard Bilkszto.