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A Racist Smear. A Tarnished Career. And the Suicide of Richard Bilkszto.
A Racist Smear. A Tarnished Career. And the Suicide of Richard Bilkszto.
Richard Bilkszto was a respected 24-year veteran of Toronto public schools, but “in his moment of need, no one defended Richard,” a lifelong friend told The Free Press. (Photoshop by The Free Press)
A beloved educator was branded as a bigot in a series of DEI sessions. The Free Press reveals the details—and exclusive audio—from a story of public shame.
By Rupa Subramanya and Ari David Blaff
08.03.23 — Education
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The Free Press
The Free Press
A Racist Smear. A Tarnished Career. And the Suicide of Richard Bilkszto.

Kike Ojo-Thompson, a diversity trainer in Toronto, was explaining to her class of 200 or so public school administrators that Canada is a much more racist country than the United States. 

“Canada is a bastion of white supremacy and colonialism,” Thompson said to a sea of nodding heads squeezed into Zoom. “The racism we experience is far worse here than t…

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Rupa Subramanya

Rupa Subramanya is a writer based in Ottawa, Canada. She began her writing career at The Wall Street Journal India with a weekly column focusing on the intersection of economics, politics, and public policy. Her work has been cited in The New York Times, Financial Times, and The Guardian among others. She is a former columnist for the National Post.

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