Chilliwack, B.C., school trustee Laurie Throness resigns over free speech 'chill'

The office which houses the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal is seen in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, March 28, 2023. The Tribunal ordered former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld to pay $750,000 after a complaint about workplace discrimination. Chilliwack trustee Laurie Throness says he's resigned his seat in wake of the decision against Neufeld. (Nono Shen / The Canadian Press)

CHILLIWACK — A school trustee in Chilliwack, B.C., has resigned his position, saying he “no longer feels safe in expressing” himself after the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal’s decision to fine former trustee Barry Neufeld $750,000.

Laurie Throness says in a statement that he can’t do his job or speak his mind freely without “worrying about accusations of workplace discrimination,” after the tribunal found Neufeld violated the human rights code by publishing hate speech against LGBTQ+ people.

He says the tribunal’s decision will place a “chill on public discourse.”

He adds that he felt he couldn’t call for the suspension of sexual orientation and gender identity education in his capacity as a trustee after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge where eight people were killed.

Throness, who’s also a former member of the B.C. legislature, says school trustees across the province will no longer comment on “sensitive topics” including gender or inclusivity because of the “legal ordeal” that Neufeld went through.

Chilliwack board of education chair David Swankey says Throness was a valuable voice that advocated for academic excellence and the seat left vacant will be open until the next municipal election in October.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2026.