Chilliwack – April 11, 2024 UPDATE – Chlliwack School Trustee Dr Carin Bondar won her defamation lawsuit over former Trustee Barry Neufeld.
Pattison Media reports 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.
Justice K. Michael Stephens said Neufeld incorrectly characterized Bondar.
Neufeld did not apologize and/or retract his statements. He was recently in Oklahoma doing interviews and again stood by his comments and ideology. As this decision was brought down, Dr. Bondar was on an education-related trip to Oregon.
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.
FVN has reached out to Dr. Bondar for comment. She posted to her Facebook page:
I tell my students, and I told this conference of science communicators before learning to result of my litigation yesterday, that what matters at the end of the day is to create a body of work that makes you proud.
That’s all I ever tried to do.
So have my work misused and misrepresented in a malicious smear campaign against me was demoralizing and disappointing. Further, the lack of support from local leadership made me feel like the treatment I was getting was exactly what I deserved.
I’m so grateful to the beautiful circle of women that have been supporting me this entire time – by reaching out, having conversations, going for walks, making art and showing up at the trail so I didn’t need to face the court room alone. It mattered so much!
Thank you, Judge Stephens, for your clear, eloquent, and correct summation of the facts. Integrity matters. Truth matters.
I am a globally respected professional. Author of 3 books (translated into multiple languages across the world), host on 10 TV series, and 4 web series based on my books – with well over 100 million views. Those are the #facts.
NOVEMBER 21 2023 UPDATE – On Tuesday November 21, the six day defamation trial between Chilliwack school Trustee and Vice-Chair Dr Carin Bondar and former Trustee Barry Neufeld, wrapped up in Chilliwack Court.
This started with Neufeld calling Bondar a “strip tease artist” in an online faith based talk show.
The decision from Justice Michael Stephens is forthcoming.
NOVEMBER 10 ORIGINAL STORY – In September of 2022, in a faith based video conversation, now former Chilliwack School trustee Barry Neufeld referred to current Trustee and Vice-Board Chair Dr. Carin Bondar as a “strip tease artist”. He was referring to Bondar’s 2014 parody of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” (then an Internet sensation, with hundreds of thousands of hits). It was Bondar’s way of educating UFV Students and other people, on the science of evolution.
That original FVN story is here.
Bondar will take legal action against Neufeld for the comment. The trial is expected to start Tuesday November 14 2023 at Chiliwack Law Courts.
Bondar’s 2022 Statement (in part):
I’m suing Barry Neufeld for defamation of character.
To uphold democracy, one must stand up to the powers that seek to destroy it.
Mr. Neufeld and I are two of the candidates (then) currently running for re-election in school district 33, Chilliwack. On Tuesday, September 21, 2022, Mr. Neufeld was a guest on Action4Canada’s Empower Hour. During this interview he referred to me as a ‘Strip-tease Artist’.
I am not a strip-tease artist, nor have I ever been one. I am currently a full-time instructor in the Biology Department and the School of Land Use and Environmental Change at the University of the Fraser Valley.
This week, Neufeld posted to his Facebook page, a fundraiser to help pay for his legal defense.
