Council votes to dock Coun. Stevenson 30 days pay for 'problematic' post about City of London staffer
Follows recommendation by integrity commissioner who found pattern of harassment, bullying
London city councillors have voted to reprimand Coun. Susan Stevenson by docking her pay for 30 days as punishment for what an independent watchdog described as bullying and harassment of a senior city staff in violation of the code of conduct for councillors.
The motion to dock Stevenson's pay passed by 8-6 vote at Tuesday's council meeting (see below for how each councillor voted).
It follows a report by the city's integrity commissioner into a complaint by Kevin Dickins, deputy mayor in charge of the city's response to homelessness.
Dickins filed a complaint in May following a post on Stevenson's X, formerly Twitter, account. In that post, she quoted two lines from a news article attributed to Dickins while questioning the city's strategy to support and address homeless encampments. The post used block letters and emojis that appear to convey frustration or disbelief.
The council vote follows the integrity commissioner's recommendation that Stevenson's pay be blocked for 30 days. The report said the sanction was recommended in part because it wasn't the first time Stevenson's posts on the topic have amounted to "harassment and bullying" of a city staffer.
Coun. Elizabeth Peloza voted and spoke in favour of following the integrity commissioner's recommendation, pointing to the fact Stevenson has been similarly reprimanded before.
"The report does outline behaviour of concern that's gone on for some time," she said. "We've had training and other reports. There's been an opportunity to do better."
Some councillors felt the 30-day suspension of pay went too far. An amendment put forward by Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis to have it knocked down to a five-day pay suspension failed on a vote of five to nine.
"There is reason to believe there is a pattern here," said Lewis. "But at the same time, I feel like it goes from a reprimand to something beyond what I'm comfortable with."
Recess called after man shouts from gallery
Coun. Skylar Franke voted in support of the integrity commissioner's recommendation, saying council needs to ensure a "safe workplace" for staff.
"Of course a member of council is entitled to ask probing questions, and to try and find more information," said Franke. "But I don't think it is our role to try and interrogate, and make staff look like they're in trouble or berate them publicly."
The gallery in the council chambers was full during the discussion about Stevenson's reprimand. One man held up a sign that read, "Support Susan Stevenson."
Moments before the council vote on the main motion, a man in the gallery began to shout.
"You're silencing a woman telling the truth," the man shouted.
He was asked to leave and after a few minutes, was escorted out by security staff.
While that was happening, Mayor Josh Morgan called a 10-minute recess. The meeting resumed with security staff, and Morgan, reminding members of the gallery they had to follow the rules of decorum or leave.
Based on city councillors' remuneration rate, the reprimand will cost Stevenson about $5,400. She will continue to be a voting member of city council and her committee assignments won't change.
These councillors voted in favour of the integrity commissioner's recommendation to dock Stevenson's pay for 30 days:
- Coun. Anna Hopkins.
- Coun. Hadleigh McAllister
- Coun. Skylar Franke.
- Coun. David Ferreira.
- Mayor Josh Morgan.
- Coun. Sam Trosow.
- Coun. Elizabeth Peloza.
- Coun. Peter Cuddy.
Councillors who voted against the motion:
- Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis.
- Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen.
- Coun. Jerry Pribil.
- Coun. Steven Lehman.
- Coun. Steve Hillier.
- Coun. Corrine Rahman.
Coun. Susan Stevenson was not allowed to vote under procedural rules.
During the discussion, Stevenson began to speak about what she said was a flawed integrity commissioner process, but was told by Morgan, who chaired the meeting, that comments by her and all councillors had to be restricted to the reprimand motion.
Dickins referred a CBC request for comment about the decision to the mayor.