A Waterloo Regional District School Board teacher was removed from a virtual board meeting after comments that were deemed transphobic, allegedly breaking the "Ontario Human Rights Code."
Kitchener teacher Carolyn Burjoski raised concerns during the meeting that a character in a book called Rick who is a child may not have sexual feelings yet, despite another character stating that they think about "naked girls."
"While reading this book I was thinking 'maybe Rick doesn't have sexual feels yet because he is a child,'" said Burjoski.
"It concerns me that it leaves young boys wondering if there is something wrong with them if they aren’t thinking about naked girls all the time. What message does this send to girls in Grade 3 or 4? They are children. Let them grow up in their own time and stop pressuring them to be sexual so soon," she said.
According to CTV, she said "in fact some of the of the books make it seem simple, even cool, to take puberty blockers and opposite sex hormones."
School meeting chair Scott Piatkowski, however, saw the book differently, and said that Burjoski's views were problematic and transphobic.
"I would caution you to make sure that you are not saying anything that would violate the Human Rights Code," he warned.
Burjoski then spoke about another book titled The Other Boy which discusses a young boy's sexual transition from female to male.
Burjoski said that the character in the book may not be taking "into account how Shane may feel later in life about being infertile. This book makes very serious interventions seem like an easy cure for emotional and social distress."
Piatkowski then said that the "Ontario Human Rights Code includes gender identity as a grounds for discrimination and I’m concerned your comments violate that so I’m ending your presentation."
He boasted about that ruling on Twitter.
I made a ruling. Trustees upheld that ruling. I stand by it.https://t.co/NBQae60hbD
— Scott Piatkowski (@ScottPiatkowski) January 18, 2022
"The recording of the livestream was not officially posted due to concerns over a Human Rights Code violation," said interim chief communications officer Eusis Dougan-MacKenzie in a statement.
"We are also sensitive to the many students, staff and members of the wider community who were impacted by comments made during the meeting."
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