Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is divisive and counter-productive and can even serve to increase prejudice among participants, a new study by a Canadian professor says.
David Haskell released his study for the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy on Feb. 12. The social scientist and associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University says DEI training does more harm than good and calls his findings a “reality check.”
“A growing number of high-profile cases suggest that diversity workshops and their supporting materials regularly promote questionable claims—particularly about the overarching, malicious character of the majority population. Similarly, hostility toward those who challenge DEI claims is part of the pattern,” Mr. Haskell wrote.
“The national and international research shows there is often a disconnect between the evidence and the claims of DEI advocates.”
In an extreme example, Richard Bilkszto, a 60-year-old Toronto District School Board principal who had challenged DEI claims, took his own life on July 13, 2023. His lawyer, Lisa Bildy, suggested that harassment he received following DEI training in 2021 directly contributed to his death. A Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) ruling confirmed that he had been the subject of “workplace harassment and bullying.”
Claims that Canada and other Western countries are “systemically racist” are not borne out by a statistical analysis of “differences in outcomes,” Mr. Haskell’s paper states. It cites foundatio....
Read the comments especially Marc in Calgary.
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/08/06/are-you-more-of-an-albertan-or-a-big-city-canadian/
Aren't they just wonderful! Her add to post is interesting. I have a son working on a pipeline in B.C. that was approved many years ago that I hadn't heard of as it never makes the news. Previously he worked on Trans Mountain which was major news daily.
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/08/06/i-want-a-new-country-144/