Campbell subject of integrity commissioner complaint
Councillor denies allegations
The City of Niagara Falls has retained an integrity commissioner to investigate a resident’s complaint against Coun. Wayne Campbell and whether council’s code of conduct was breached.
In an email to city councillors, dated April 24 and obtained by The Niagara Falls Review, city solicitor Ken Beaman wrote that he retained John Mascarin, a lawyer and a partner in the Toronto firm Aird and Berlis, to act as integrity commissioner on the complaint.
Beaman noted Mascarin has acted as an integrity commissioner on a number of matters, and that some of his work involved Niagara Region.
Beaman added Mascarin has already begun work on the file.
“It is important to remember that no determination has been made as to whether there has been an infringement of the code,” he said.
“Mr. Mascarin will make that determination. All that has been determined is that an investigation should take place.”
In his email to council, Beaman did not elaborate on the complaint nor did he fully identify the person who made the complaint or the councillor who was the subject of the complaint. However, the subject line of the email read: Morris Complaint.
The Review reached out to senior city officials after Niagara Falls resident Chad Morris posted to Facebook Friday that an integrity commissioner is now investigating a complaint he made against Campbell.
The Review sent an interview request Friday afternoon to Trent Dark, the city’s director of human resources and Ken Todd, the city’s chief administrative officer, asking whether the city is aware of a complaint from Morris, and whether an integrity commissioner is investigating a complaint.
Dark responded via email and forwarded the Review’s request to Beaman, noting integrity commissioners are within the mandate/ responsibility of the city solicitor.
“The city has retained outside counsel in this matter,” Beaman wrote in a Friday afternoon email to The Review.
“I have been unable to speak to that counsel as of this writing. I will keep trying to contact them and will answer your query as soon as I have their advice on these matters.”
On Tuesday morning, Beaman said: “I will not be able to say anything with respect to this matter until I report to council on May the 8th.”
On Tuesday, Morris told The Review he filed a complaint against Campbell with the city in late 2017.
Morris said he suffers from mental-health issues and alleges Campbell harassed him in telephone and text messages in late 2017.
Morris said after being in hospital, he contacted a couple of city councillors about what he believes to be a lack of mentalhealth resources and support.
Morris said he was referred to Campbell because he has also expressed a belief there is a lack of mental-health resources and support.
Morris said when he first started interacting with Campbell, the councillor provided positive support.
But during one late-night telephone conversation, Morris alleged the discussion turned to an issue involving Morris, a family member and a support agency.
Morris said he felt it wasn’t appropriate at the time to discuss that topic and that the councillor said things that were hurtful, so he hung up on Campbell.
Morris alleges Campbell called him back several times and left voicemail and text messages, in which he alleges the councillor used harassing and swearing language.
Morris said the messages have been saved and forwarded to the integrity commissioner.
“I was looking for a mentor,” said Morris.
“I don’t want people to be treated like that. Our city council members are leaders of our community. At the end of the day, this is tiring. For me, I just want it to all go away. I just don’t want somebody who is supposed to be an advocate for mental health, who is supposed to be a leader of our community, doing this.”
Morris said he was recently made aware an integrity commissioner was going to investigate the issue, and he believes Campbell broke council’s code of conduct.
The allegations against Campbell are subject to review by the integrity commissioner, and have not been ruled on.
In an interview with The Review Tuesday, Campbell denies he harassed or bullied Morris.
Campbell said he is aware an integrity commissioner has been retained.
Campbell said he is seeking legal advice.
Campbell said he “reached out” to help Morris, tried to “give him support,” and although he’s a city councillor, was “doing that out of my service to the community as an individual.”
Campbell alleges Morris “turned” on him and it was “brutal.”
Campbell said he has sent messages to the integrity commissioner as well.
When asked if he swore at Morris, Campbell said: “I told him to get his s—- together, or something like that, but I was nowhere near a bully. I didn’t treat him any differently than I would have treated one of my high-school students that was struggling with mental-health issues or behaviour problems.”
Campbell is a retired educator. “I approached it from the position of a vice-principal, talking to a person that’s making poor choices and trying to help them understand.”