Law360 Canada ( July 9, 2021, 5:40 AM EDT) -- Appeal by the plaintiff Neufeld from the dismissal of his defamation action under the Protection of Public Participation Act. The appellant was a public-school trustee who, in a Facebook post, made negative comments about the way a program designed to teach children about sexual orientation and gender identity, was being implemented in schools. The respondent Hansman, the then-president of the BC Teachers’ Federation, was highly critical of Neufeld’s statements when interviewed by the media. The judge found that a trier of fact would inevitably conclude that the defence of fair comment was valid. He also found that the public interest in protecting Hansman’s expressions outweighed the harm suffered by Neufeld, who submitted almost no evidence of damages suffered. The judge concluded there was no prospect of a finding that Hansman made the statements, either knowing them to be false or with reckless indifference because Hansman’s affidavit made it clear that he honestly held the beliefs he expressed....