Fraser Valley (with files from Black Press/CBC/Pattison Media) – February 2025 UPDATE – Black Press reports that The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal from ex-Chilliwack School Board trustee Barry Neufeld after he was found liable in a 2024 defamation suit.
Neufeld has been ordered to pay $35,000 in general damages and $10,000 in punitive damages after Justice K. Michael Stephens ruled in favour of Chilliwack School Board trustee Carin Bondar in her defamation suit.
August 2024 Story – On April 11, 2024, Chlliwack School Trustee Dr Carin Bondar won her defamation lawsuit over former Chilliwack School Trustee Barry Neufeld.
Pattison Media reported that the judge sided with Bondar after the 2022 comments from Neufeld, calling the Doctor a “strip tease artist” after criticizing a Miley Cyrus parody video that Bondar said, was a teaching aid for her UFV classes. Neufeld must pay Dr. Bondar $35,000 in general damages and $10,000 in punitive damages. If there is no agreement on costs, then submissions would be filed in court.
On August 13, 2024, Black Press reports that Neufeld will appeal. In total , the decision could cost Neufeld $45,000 in damages and court costs.
Neufeld’s lawyer Paul Jaffe filed an “appellant’s factum” in the B.C. Court of Appeal on Aug. 1, positing that the trial judge erred in several areas of law to decide in favour of Bondar, awarding her $45,000 in damages for the “impugned words” uttered by the former trustee. Neufeld is now seeking to have the defamation order, and damages set aside. Further, that Neiufeld had an honest belief that his comments was an accurate description. There was no malice or dishonesty or other kind of misconduct remotely close to that which warrants punitive damages. The basis for awarding punitive damages is not ascertainable.”
