Councillor Susan Stevenson has been suspended for 30 days without pay after an investigation by the Integrity Commissioner concluded that she bullied and harassed a senior city staffer. The council accepted the findings of the report, which stated that Stevenson’s social media post and her persistent questioning of Kevin Dickins, the deputy city manager of Social and Health Development, amounted to workplace harassment.

Stevenson argued that the investigation was unfair and suggested that the council consider alternatives to the suspension, urging her colleagues to come up with a solution that would help the council and senior management move forward. Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis opposed the 30-day suspension, proposing an amendment to reduce the penalty to five days, but the amendment was defeated.

As the council discussed the suspension, a man in the public gallery began shouting in support of Stevenson’s positions on homelessness and the clustering of shelters in Old East Village. Mayor Josh Morgan asked security to remove him after repeated disruptions. The meeting was briefly recessed to restore order, but several women in the gallery continued shouting support for Stevenson. Once the disruptive man left, the gallery returned to normal, and the debate continued.

Councillor Hadleigh McAlister spoke out, saying he saw a pattern of bullying and harassment, while other councillors debated the severity of the punishment. Councillor Jerry Pribil suggested that a 30-day suspension was not a productive solution, while Councillor David Ferreira emphasized that he had personally experienced bullying and harassment and would not tolerate it.

Several councillors apologized to civic staff for their silence during committee meetings when the bullying took place. Councillor Skylar Franke acknowledged the council’s responsibility to protect staff, and McAlister also expressed regret that staff felt this way.

The council eventually voted 8-6 to approve the 30-day suspension of pay, with Stevenson abstaining. She confirmed that she would file a complaint with the Ontario Ombudsman about the investigative process, citing serious concerns with the Integrity Commissioner’s report. This marks the second time Stevenson has been found to have violated the Council Code of Conduct; in 2023, she received a formal reprimand for posting photos of homeless individuals on social media in a way that disregarded the potential impact on those involved.