Comments reported to have been made on social media by a Township of 91原创 councillor have led to a formal internal investigation over a possible violation of the municipality鈥檚 respectful workplace policy.
On Nov. 27, council voted 5-4 in favour of Coun. Charlie Fox鈥檚 motion to have legal opinion obtained about whether the policy was violated, and if so, what recourse is available.
His motion came in response to a letter from a resident identified only as Rhonda, who claims that Coun. Kim Richter 鈥渃rossed the line鈥� with comments made in the Yorkson Willoughby Facebook group.
Another resident had posted a link to a 91原创 Times article about Richter鈥檚 concerns that Coun. Angie Quaale鈥檚 business was hired to cater a Township event, and asked for others鈥� opinions on it.
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鈥淎s people including myself voiced our thoughts, Kim Ritcher [sic] decided to join in. She has now delete [sic] all of her comments as well as her personal page,鈥� Rhonda wrote. 鈥淪he went so far as to call people cheerleaders for the other councillor etc. etc. Not one person was cheerleading we were stating that the issue seemed to becoming [sic] from a personal conflict she has with the other councillor.鈥�
While the Township does not regulate the personal social media accounts of elected officials, Fox said that their respectful workplace policy 鈥� which applies to all Township employees and elected officials 鈥� still needs to be reviewed.
鈥淥ne of the questions that was asked of me by a person while I was out shopping is, 鈥榃ell, what鈥檚 it like on council these days?鈥� Well, I鈥檒l tell you what it鈥檚 like, it鈥檚 a very disingenuous situation, and I would have to suggest that the tenor is toxic,鈥� Fox said.
鈥淚 lived through this from 2008 to 2011, and I鈥檓 sorry, I鈥檓 not doing it again.鈥�
Fox said there are three areas he would like to have investigated, beginning with the Facebook comments. He would also like to have the treatment of Township staff looked into, specifically related to an email chain between staff members and Richter, and an accusation that a union president was contacted after a Township employee made comments related to the story on Facebook.
But Richter called the motion a personal attack.
鈥淚 think we should call this for what it really is. It鈥檚 a 鈥楾rumpian鈥� witch hunt,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his council is angry with me. And so now they鈥檙e bullying me and they鈥檙e doing it by projecting onto me things that I have not done. It is a complete and utter waste of Township money to go get a legal opinion on the respectful workplace policy.
鈥淭here is nothing I have ever posted on Facebook that I would not stand behind, and there is also no way that I would ever say it鈥檚 all right for this council to censure the access of its members to social media. That鈥檚 just wrong.鈥�
Richter said the motion is an attempt to divert from the real issue 鈥� the catering of the 2017 farm tour.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 always been the issue. All of a sudden now it鈥檚 been twisted around to say I鈥檓 bullying. No, I鈥檓 not bullying. I discovered something that occurred that I did not think was right and I brought it to the light of day because it is my job to do this kind of thing. And it鈥檚 not an easy job to do.鈥�
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COUNCILLORS DIVIDED
Coun. David Davis 鈥� who voted against the motion, along with Richter, Petrina Arnason, and Bob Long 鈥� said an investigation could affect 鈥渢he integrity of our council.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 wondering where this is coming from. Is this a backlash to council members not agreeing on an issue, or is this really about bullying?鈥� he asked. 鈥淚鈥檓 worried that this motion is just continually fueling a match, and is going to sterilize council, and we will be afraid to even open our mouths and give an opinion because we might offend someone. We鈥檙e all adults here and elected for our differences of opinion.鈥�
Arnason warned other councillors about the importance of using self-control online and making sure they are not infringing on free speech or 鈥渟capegoating people.鈥�
鈥淚 totally support only responsible social media posting. I think that people have to take responsibility for the things that they put on there,鈥� she said.
鈥淏ut in reality, many of our policies that are reflective of ourselves as councillors go right back to self-responsibility. That鈥檚 the nature of our job. We have to be able to monitor ourselves and I think that goes all the way to social media.鈥�
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Coun. Michelle Sparrow, who has spoken before about being bullied on council, related the conversation to her four daughters, and how she wants them to behave.
鈥淭his is about respect. (It鈥檚) about respect for each other around this table, it鈥檚 about respect for our residents and respect for the job that we all hold. I think that there has definitely been a line that has been crossed. And I think that we are the only ones who can hold each other accountable here,鈥� she said.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e all going to sit back and say we don鈥檛 want to spend any more funds on this, or we don鈥檛 want to investigate this any further, and we don鈥檛 want to limit people鈥檚 ability for free speech 鈥� and all of these excuses that we can come up with about not standing up and actually saying something is wrong 鈥� how are we ever going to teach our kids what is right and what is wrong?鈥�
Coun. Blair Whitmarsh said the issue comes down to dealing with differing opinions in a respectful manner. He said he believes Township issues should be debated openly in meetings, not on social media.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to remember that free speech is not saying whatever you want. Free speech is not being hateful towards other people. Free speech is not being prejudiced towards other people or racist, or any of those kinds of things. That鈥檚 not free speech. Free speech is not about being a bully,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd free speech is about speaking your opinion about a topic in an open, very respectful kind of format. And I think that it is very difficult for council, at times, and others, with social media. Because as you know, social media can do a lot of good things, but it can also be a very negative tool.鈥�
Long shared a similar view.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 legislate good manners, you can鈥檛 legislate common sense. (But) you can ask members of council, staff and the citizenry to have more respect for each other,鈥� he said.
鈥淪ocial media can be a bit of a trap that we can all fall into, but I think it鈥檚 time we moved on. I think we owe it to those who elected us here and to the citizens of the Township to keep decorum at the table. Issues should be discussed here at the council table in meetings 鈥� in properly called meetings. Everything else that happens outside, I guess it鈥檚 fun and it鈥檚 addictive, but it鈥檚 not (where) we should be dealing with (it).鈥�
Mayor Jack Froese said council is taking the issue very seriously, and that there could be multiple councillors who have breached the policy, or none at all.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not here to do a witch hunt. We鈥檙e here to look at the policy that has been approved by council by an independent person. A legal opinion is not a member of council, it is somebody independent to take a look at it,鈥� he said.
鈥淧erhaps we can learn from this and move forward, and move forward in a positive way, not in a negative way. I totally agree that difference of opinion, having great debates, having diversity on our council, is healthy and I embrace that.鈥�
Watch the full council debate online .
SOCIAL MEDIA IN POLITICS
Issues of cyber bullying and threats are not unique to the Township.
In Maple Ridge, Mayor Nicole Read missed several council meetings after receiving 鈥渁 real, serious threat, that had nothing to do with social media,鈥� the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows News reported.
Another elected official in Maple Ridge, , said she has been bullied by her fellow colleagues for years, and that the 鈥減rolonged adrenal stress鈥� has led to serious health issues.
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In Chilliwack, a provincial court judge ordered a woman, who claimed to be Mayor Sharon Gaetz鈥檚 daughter and repeatedly harassed the mayor, to stay out of Chilliwack city limits.
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And in Pitt Meadows, Mayor John Becker, who is also a lawyer, announced in June that he may file lawsuits against those who make outrageous claims against him anywhere in public, particularly online.
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In light of what鈥檚 happening, Fox said he believes that social media is 鈥渢he most devastating鈥� tool used in politics today.
鈥淭here鈥檚 two reasons. Number one, there鈥檚 no face to social media. And the second thing is that people have a sense of entitlement related to politicians (and) civic workers (as) they feel they pay their salary,鈥� Fox told the 91原创 Times.
鈥淭hey feel it鈥檚 a no-holds-barred environment and that they have the right to say and do what they want on social media. There鈥檚 a sense of entitlement. 鈥榊ou work for me, I don鈥檛 like what you鈥檙e doing, I can say what I want.鈥� There鈥檚 no face to it, there鈥檚 no direct interaction. 鈥業鈥檒l never see you so, hey, what do I care?鈥欌��
Fox says, like other members of council, he has experienced bullying online. He says people have called him 鈥渁 puke,鈥� have drawn cartoons, and in one case, created a website to spread hateful comments.
鈥淥K, you鈥檝e got to let some of this stuff roll off your back, and I do. It鈥檚 not a big deal in the bigger sense,鈥� he said.
鈥�(But) I鈥檝e been there. I鈥檝e been bullied. I鈥檝e been made fun of, whatever you want to classify it as.鈥�
miranda@langleytimes.com
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