Chilliwack (with files from chillTV/Black Press) – BREAKING -Controversial Chilliwack School Trustee Barry Neufeld has won his appeal against a court decision dismissing his defamation lawsuit against former B.C. Teachers’ Federation President Glen Hansman.
In a nut shell, in 2018, Neufeld filed a civil lawsuit against Hansman for comments the former BCTF President made about the trustee in 2017 in the debate about anti-bullying gender identity materials used in schools in the province– better known as SOGI-123.
This was the first time the anti-SLAPP (“Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” or “Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation”) legislation has been used in court and Neufeld appealed. The BC Court of Appeal ruled that the judge who dismissed Neufeld’s claim under the Protection of Public Participation Act erred in assessing whether there was likely a valid defence of fair comment.
At the time, Hansman, as well as other school officials and critics were asking that Neufeld step away frm the Chilliwack School Board citing the harm he was causing to the board as it was trying to conduct its business.
So, and again simplifying the wording of the ruling, Neufeld will eventually have a day in court for a libel claim against Hansman.
For the record, the only media that Neufeld has been in contact with is the on line Rebel News. Rebel News was recently banned from fundraising on PayPal due to their “inflammatory comments on a number of stories”. He has a standing offer for a interview with either chillTV ( on camera) and FVN (again, on camera).
