Chilliwack school trustee uses ableist slur against local newspaper staff

Embattled Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld has come under fire for yet another inappropriate comment.

In a Facebook comment Thursday, Neufeld disparaged local newspaper Chilliwack Progress and called three of its staff “retards,” an ableist slur that stems from an outdated term for people with intellectual disabilities.

Nefueld later edited the comment to say “radical lefties,” but not before several Twitter users took screenshots.

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Neufeld also alleged the paper is “slanted” and in such “dire” financial straits that it had to sell its building, which editor Paul J. Henderson says is not true.

“An inaccurate post, almost completely,” Henderson tweeted. “Tara and I have always worked from the office (reporters temporarily worked from home), we sold our disgusting old building and are in a beautiful new space, and finances have been a challenge, but we’ll be fine, improving all the time!”

Also an inaccurate post, almost completely. Tara and I have always worked from the office (reporters temporarily worked from home), we sold our disgusting old building and are in a beautiful new space, and finances have been a challenge, but we’ll be fine, improving all the time!

— Paul J. Henderson (@PeeJayAitch) November 20, 2020

Neufeld has a history of expressing his transphobic views, and his anti-LGBTQ+ comments have been the subject of human rights complaints.