Coun. Wyatt asks court to quash reprimand against him by Winnipeg city council
Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt has asked a court to quash a Winnipeg city council reprimand against him and order council to apologize.
Wyatt is seeking a judicial review of a Jan. 30 city council vote to reprimand Wyatt for refusing to apologize for comments he made in 2023 about former Winnipeg chief administrative officer Michael Jack.
"We need a change. We need a new CAO and we need to start removing some of the deadwood that exists in senior management," Wyatt said in his initial comments about Jack in 2023.
Jack filed a complaint later that year, arguing Wyatt violated the harassment rule in the city's code of conduct. A subsequent report by an acting integrity commissioner found Wyatt breached that code and made "objectively offensive comments."
The report recommended Wyatt apologize or face a council reprimand.
After he refused to apologize, council voted 12-2 in favour of that reprimand, with some arguing this action didn't go far enough.
"We need more than just we're reprimanding. I think the public needs more," Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) said at the time.
Councillors Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) and Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), meanwhile, voted against that reprimand in January. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) was not present for the vote.
Neither was Wyatt, who said before the vote he didn't believe he did anything wrong
In a notice of application to Manitoba's Court of King's Bench, Wyatt lawyer Dave Hill argues council erred in determining he harassed Jack and acted in bad faith by issuing a reprimand.
In addition to an apology, Wyatt is seeking costs.
Council Speaker Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) declined to comment. So did Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
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