Council says with unified voice: `Quit, Rick Chiarelli'

Coun. Rick Chiarelli's colleagues have made it publicly known that they want him gone, while adding another 180 days to his salary suspension for lewd conduct, stripping his committee duties and banishing him from the council table when in-person meetings return.

Mayor Jim Watson, in response to a motion tabled by Coun. Catherine McKenney and himself, apologized on behalf of council to women who have experienced Chiarelli's harassment.

“We must sit in our own discomfort about these events,” Watson said during Wednesday's council meeting while saluting the women who came forward with complaints against Chiarelli.

“I'm sorry this happened and it should have never happened.”

Chiarelli, who has publicly denied all allegations made against him, was at the virtual council meeting, but not during the discussion about the integrity investigation into his conduct. He declared a conflict of interest and told council he had been advised not to speak on the matter since he's challenging the integrity commissioner's jurisdiction in court.

The latest investigation by integrity commissioner Robert Marleau found egregious code of conduct violations by Chiarelli involving two women who worked in his office.

The women shared personal accounts of Chiarelli's inappropriate, sexualized comments.

Chiarelli hasn't been paid after council in the summer ordered his paycheque held back for 270 days, starting Aug. 14, in response to conduct violations related to three other women whom he interviewed for jobs in his office. The integrity commissioner found similar inappropriate conduct exhibited by Chiarelli.

With the recent report, the integrity commissioner recommended the strongest penalty available, a 90-day salary suspension for each of the two complaints.

Coun. Theresa Kavanagh, council's liaison on women and gender equity, worked with Coun. Mathieu Fleury in recommending that council ask Chiarelli to resign immediately. Chiarelli's conduct was “disturbing, demeaning and reprehensible,” Kavanagh said.

Every council member at the meeting voted in favour of demanding Chiarelli resign from his job representing College ward.

Councillors Jenna Sudds and Glen Gower proposed several creative sanctions against Chiarelli and ways to direct his paycheques, all unanimously backed by council.

Chiarelli's suspended salary will continue to be directed to organizations that help survivors of domestic assault or sexual assault.

The clerk and city solicitor will report back on the potential for restricting Chiarelli's access to municipal buildings.

Chiarelli can only participate in council meetings electronically, and when council meetings return to council chambers, his seat will be somewhere else, not at the council table.

Sudds and Gower also received support for the mayor, city clerk and city solicitor about contacting Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark to ask for revisions to the Municipal Act to allow for a council members to be turfed from office if they're found on clear and convincing evidence to have committed “serious misconduct.”

Clark encouraged Chiarelli to resign, but said a minister shouldn't have the power to fire council members.

“The conduct of Councillor Rick Chiarelli towards female staff is completely unacceptable. Our government has been absolutely clear that we do not tolerate or condone this behaviour,” Clark said in a statement after council voted on the local sanctions.

“I want to thank all the women who came forward to share their experiences for their courage. No person should have to go through workplace harassment, and I applaud them for speaking out. It is important to call out this behaviour and support those impacted.

“Allowing the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to remove, at his sole discretion, elected Members of Council is not a power I believe the Minister should have — despite how useful it could be in situations like this.

“I therefore, in the strongest terms possible, urge Councillor Chiarelli to resign his position.”

Ontario law allows for a council member to be removed from office only in the event of imprisonment or missing three consecutive months of meetings.

Sudds said the evidence provided by women in the Chiarelli investigation was “enough to turn one's stomach.”

Coun. Catherine Kitts, the newest member of council, said she felt compelled to comment as a young woman and voiced support for the idea of scrutinizing Chiarelli's access to municipal facilities.

“I think it's important to share, should I encounter Coun. Chareilli or should he come into my office, I would feel very uncomfortable,” Kitts said.

Coun. Diane Deans, a veteran councillor who has worked with Chiarelli for years, said, “I am sorry I did not see the signs.”

With council stripping Chiarelli of his committee responsibilities, he will no longer sit on the planning committee, information technology subcommittee and built-heritage subcommittee.

Chiarelli is the most veteran politician on council, with a career that goes back to his teens as a school board trustee.