Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I am pleased to announce that my legal defense fund campaign on GoFundMe has reached a significant milestone!
Two Years Ago Today
Two years ago today I was removed from the Waterloo Region District School Board trustee meeting and accused of violating the Ontario Human Rights Code. The hysteria, misinformation and defamation that followed is history. I subsequently launched a defamation suit against the Board and its former Chair Scott Piatkowski.
Original Projected Legal Cost $100,000
At the time, my lawyer, Justin Heimpel from Sorbara Law in Kitchener, informed me that it would cost at least $50,000 to get to court, and another $50,000 for my day in court. To fund this expensive legal action, I started a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $100,000. I am thrilled that the original cost projection has been met (as of yesterday) and the fund is now over $100,000!
WRDSB’s Strategy Is Obvious
Unfortunately, the WRDSB’s failed anti-SLAPP motion gobbled up a large chunk of the funds for the defamation suit. And now the WRDSB is appealing Justice Ramsay’s anti-SLAPP decision, which will cost me even more and further delay my day in court. It is becoming obvious that their strategy is to fight me at every step of this journey in an attempt to delay justice or bankrupt me. For this reason, I have had to raise my GoFundMe campaign goal to $175,000.
All funds raised are only used to pay legal expenses. In the unlikely event that there are surplus funds, all extra funds will be donated to a registered charity dedicated to protecting Canadian constitutional freedoms.
I Will NOT Give Up!
I want to reassure you that I will NOT give up! As long as I continue to have your support, I will keep fighting. Together, let’s lead our school boards back to respectful dialogue, academics, and transparency.
Financial Statement
For the sake of financial transparency, I am publicly posting a statement from Sorbara Law in Kitchener revealing that I have already paid over $90,000 in legal fees (see below).
The Next Steps
Although we have passed through a very active time fighting the anti-SLAPP motion, the pace will slow down now as we go through the appeal process. I will be posting less frequently while we wait for factum deadlines and court time. I will continue to update you when there is news. Once again, I could not fight this battle without your support. Thank you for your financial and emotional support during the most tumultuous two years of my life.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Burjoski
Statement of Legal Fees Paid
