Susan Stevenson losing 30 days’ pay for ‘bullying, harassment’

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A London city councillor with a history of controversial social media posts will be docked 30 days’ pay in a punishment meted out by her colleagues who were shouted at by members of the public before they voted, forcing a recess.

Councillors voted 8-6 at a meeting Tuesday to dock the pay of Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson. The penalty was recommended by the city’s integrity commissioner who found Stevenson violated council’s code of conduct with a social media post in April that “unnecessarily” identified a senior city manager.

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The report from Principles Integrity, the firm hired by the city to act as its integrity commissioner, found Stevenson’s conduct constituted “harassment, bullying and targeting” of the manager.

“This is not a matter of freedom of speech, this is a matter of bullying and harassment,” Ward 13 Coun. David Ferreira said. “I’ve sat here and watched for two years, now . . . This is a reflection on ourselves, and how we conduct our business.”

Councillors Corrine Rahman, Jerry Pribil, Steven Hillier, Steve Lehman, Paul Van Meerbergen and Shawn Lewis voted against the punishment, while Stevenson recused herself. All others voted in favour.

More than a dozen members of the public attended the meeting to see council’s decision, with one holding a sign supporting Stevenson.

As council debated an appropriate punishment, several members of the public began shouting at politicians not to punish Stevenson, forcing council to break for 10 minutes.

When the meeting returned, Mayor Josh Morgan said one person was escorted out of city hall and barred from returning.

The integrity commissioner’s report stems from an investigation into a complaint made by Kevin Dickins, deputy city manager of social and health development, about a social media post in which Stevenson identified Dickins and used an altered quote of his.

The post could still be found on Stevenson’s X profile Tuesday.

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The report found Stevenson editorialized the quote with “provocative emojis,” unnecessarily identified Dickins, and appeared to suggest he was responsible for homeless encampments in the city, leaving him vulnerable to attacks from the public.

Dickins requested privately that Stevenson take down the post or face a complaint, but she countered she didn’t understand why a complaint would be brought forward, the report said.

The commissioner also recognized a “pattern of behaviour” from Stevenson in which she “badgered” city staff at several council meetings, and said she lacked self-awareness about the impact of her actions.

Stevenson can’t say “she has received no indication that her behaviour is problematic or unnecessarily provocative,” Janice Atwood, a commissioner with Principles Integrity, said in a virtual appearance at the meeting.

“It is absurd to claim that such behaviour is necessary, or that she’s entitled to conduct herself in this way in order to serve her constituents.”

Stevenson declared to politicians she would appeal the decision to the Ontario ombudsman, as she did with her reprimand from last year, arguing she lacked clarity about the nature of the allegations about her.

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The rookie councillor was reprimanded in December 2023 for posting photos of identifiable, apparently homeless people with commentary on crime and vandalism. She has argued the previous investigation lacked procedural fairness.

“Here, we are with an integrity commissioner report . . . there are serious problems with the (reports),” Stevenson said. “I’m encouraging my colleagues to come up with something . . . that would actually help us as a council and senior management team move forward in a productive way.”

Several councillors spoke to Stevenson’s treatment of staff during meetings, and highlighted she already has been reprimanded and faced several complaints from multiple agencies about her social media posts.

Some councillors said they recognized Stevenson’s passion for certain issues and her constituents, but they stressed the need for politicians to hold themselves to a higher standard, especially as they approach the halfway point of their term.

“We’re halfway through our term of council . . . we’re not new,” Ward 12 Coun. Elizabeth Peloza said. “We’ve had training, and other reports, there’s been an opportunity to do better . . . and I’ve not seen that to a level which I’d be satisfied.”

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A group of councillors acknowledged Stevenson’s conduct in the report, and repeated controversies, but argued a 30-day pay suspension was heavy-handed.

Lewis put forward a motion suggesting her pay be docked for five days instead. His motion failed in a 9-5 vote with Lewis, and councillors Rahman, Pribil, Van Meerbergen and Hillier voting in favour, while Stevenson recused herself.

“I think that there has certainly been reason to think that there is a pattern here,” Lewis said. “At the same time, I feel the sanction is going from a reprimand to something that far exceeds what I’m comfortable with.”

City councillors are paid $65,137 a year so losing 30 days’ pay will amount to about $5,350.

In addition to her recent pay suspension and reprimand last year, Stevenson has been investigated at least three times for her social media posts.

She previously was investigated but cleared by the integrity commissioner for sharing and commenting on an article that suggested arresting homeless people who refuse shelter service, and for “attacks” against homeless service providers.

In addition, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission heavily criticized Stevenson, a member of the London police board, for her social media posts, but stopped short of a full investigation.

First reported Monday, Stevenson confirmed Tuesday to The London Free Press she is seeking the Conservative party nomination as a candidate for London Centre in the next federal election.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

@JackAtLFPress

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