Remembering Richard Bilkszto
In Memory of Richard Bilkszto—an educator, mentor, friend, and courageous voice for fairness.
Dear Friends of FAIR,
Three years ago this week, on July 13, 2023, FAIR Chapter leader Richard Bilkszto took his own life.
A retired Toronto principal, Richard spent his career championing the students who needed the most support: the ones who were bullied and overlooked, the kids who didn’t fit the mold. He could have spent his retirement on the beaches he loved. Instead, he kept showing up for the causes he believed in. Richard was a public servant who believed fairness and academic merit weren’t in conflict with one another — and he paid an enormous price for saying so out loud.
Richard’s death followed a diversity training session in which he was publicly accused of racism for voicing a disagreement while the administrators around him stayed silent. The story became international news, cited widely in debates over how DEI programs are run and who they’re allowed to hold accountable. But before he was a headline, Richard was a colleague, a friend, and to many of us at FAIR he was proof that one person’s willingness to speak plainly could move an entire conversation forward.
This week, our Substack published a tribute to Richard by Natasha Willowdale, a friend and fellow educator who worked alongside him on the issues he cared about most. It’s a personal, unflinching piece about grief, about regret, and about the fight over merit-based admissions to specialized school programs that Richard was in the middle of when he died.
Natasha’s tribute also carries a piece of good news that Richard unfortunately didn’t live to see: after three years of advocacy from groups like Friends of Richard Bilkszto and Save Our Schools Ontario, the lottery-based admissions policy that replaced merit-based entry has been revoked. Starting this school year, students will be admitted through a centralized evaluation. It’s not a perfect system, as Natasha acknowledges, but it’s a meaningful step toward the standards Richard fought for.
And that’s the part of this story that belongs to all of us now: not just mourning what happened to Richard, but continuing the work he started. FAIR exists because people like him were willing to speak plainly when too many people around them weren’t. Honoring him means refusing to look away from that discomfort when it’s our turn to speak up.
One reader’s poignant comment on Natasha’s tribute resonated with us. Tom Dearie, who knew Richard only briefly, observed that news of his death was “framed into a cynical narrative that overlooked the human side of his story.” That’s the risk when any tragedy becomes a symbol: the individual gets lost inside it. We don’t want to make the same mistake.
Richard was not a talking point. He was a principal who stayed late to help the kids other adults had given up on, and a man whose family and community are still living with the aftermath of his tragic death three years later.
We’ll leave you with the sentiment that Natasha’s piece closes on: Richard would be glad to know that his work wasn’t in vain, and that the work he was committed to doing is now bearing fruit.
Rest in peace, Richard. You are missed.
If you’d like to support the organizations carrying this work forward, visit Friends of Richard Bilkszto or Save Our Schools Ontario.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the US) and Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566) are available 24/7.
With gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director, FAIR
Subscribe now to receive FAIR News weekly in your Inbox
This July, FAIR will join educators from across Utah at the Utah Rural Schools Association Conference to explore how Many Stories, One Nation can support rural classrooms and strengthen civic education.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the nation is still wrestling with some of its oldest questions: Who belongs? What does equality require? How should we understand our differences?
This summer, FAIR’s Film Series will explore these questions through four compelling documentaries produced by Eli Steele and discussions with filmmakers, scholars, and thought leaders.
Join us for this can’t-miss lineup:
🎬 Killing America — July 29 — 38 min run time + discussion featuring Dr. Diana Blum and Eli Steele
🎬 15 Days — August 12
FAIR in Conversation is Back!
What does it mean to have “rights”?
The foundational claim upon which our Declaration of Independence and thus our Constitution and The Bill of Rights are based is the radical belief that individuals possess rights that are inalienable and independent of government.
Our goal is to have an intellectually rigorous and inspirational conversation that aligns with FAIR’s emphasis on open inquiry and civil discourse.
FAIR in Conversation has relaunched with a new monthly format built for this moment.
Sessions will be virtual, open to all FAIR members, and designed to be as accessible as they are substantive. You don’t need to have read anything in advance. Just bring your curiosity, your willingness to listen, and your commitment to engage in good faith.
. Sessions will run monthly through September 23rd. We hope you’ll join us!
Note to readers: We have paused the FAIR News podcast. If you prefer listening, rather than reading these newsletters, an audio version is available directly on the Substack app. Thank you for tuning in!