A Christian group and its former executive director have been fined $5,000 and ordered not to publish “disparaging” remarks against homosexuals in a ruling handed down May 30 by the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

The ruling follows last November’s judgment by the AHRC that found the Concerned Christians Coalition (CCC) and its executive director, Rev. Stephen Boissoin, had exposed gays to hatred and contempt after a letter, written by Boissoin, was published in the Red Deer Advocate in 2002. In it, Boissoin likened homosexuals to pedophiles and drug dealers, and stated that a “war has been declared so as to defend the precious sanctity of our innocent children and youth.”

Former high school teacher Darren Lund filed a complaint with the AHRC after a gay teenage boy was attacked in Red Deer two weeks after the letter was published. Lund soon found himself the target of death threats and hate mail and the defendant of a $400,000 defamation lawsuit launched by Boissoin, which was eventually dropped two years later. Lund, who spent nearly $40,000 in legal fees, claims it was nothing more than an attempt to bully him. In the recent ruling, the CCC and Boissoin were also ordered by the AHRC panel chair, Lori G. Andreachuk, to write a formal apology to Lund.

Boissoin, however, remained defiant, calling the decision an "injustice."

“I will not apologize," he said. "I stand by my 2002 letter-to-the-editor.” He declined further comment on the issue.

“The idea wasn’t to punish or humiliate anyone,” says Lund, who now teaches social justice at the University of Calgary. “It was really just to send a symbolic message that promoting hatred in this way has consequences and it is inappropriate in a free and democratic society.”

Boissoin's lawyer, Gerry Chipeur, called the decision a “dangerous precedent without precedent,” and said they will file an appeal to the Court of Queen’s Bench later this month. “No provincial government has the jurisdiction under the Canadian constitution to limit freedom of expression under any circumstances,” he argues. “[Boissoin] has always maintained that he has no discriminatory feelings towards gay individuals,” says Chipeur. “He takes the position that he has always expressed Christian love and care for them.”

“Anyone in Canada still has absolute freedom to express their views," says Lund. "The only limits are when the expression of those views takes away the safety or freedoms of other people, so I think it’s just a very reasonable limit on free speech.”

Lund says he will donate a portion of the $5,000 awarded to him to the Diversity, Equity and Human Rights Committee, a resource intended to help teachers build inclusive school communities in Alberta. (TH)