Sudbury councillor taken to task for undignified social media posts

Despite concluding the investigation was outside his jurisdiction, city integrity commissioner David Boghosian filed a public report on Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc’s social media activity.

At issue is one post in particular Boghosian considered transphobic and “beneath the dignity of a sitting councillor, or anyone for that matter.”

The post was made on Aug. 29, and read, “My generation had WONDER WOMAN ... y’all generation is WONDERING if that’s a WOMAN.”

In his response to Boghosian, Leduc said his account was hacked and that he didn’t post the joke in question, but he didn’t deny posting other jokes flagged in Boghosian’s report.

Another post Boghosian cited read, “I’m not f****** stupid. I mean, I used to. But we broke up.” 

Resident Rosie Beaulieu posted a number of other Leduc social media posts to a local politics page she moderates which have been criticized as sexist, including a “dumb blonde” joke and one that read, “When a woman laughs during an argument, please know that the psycho part of her brain has been activated. Abort mission!!!”

At the end of his report, Boghosian concluded that because the posts were on Leduc’s private page, which “is not sufficiently related to the business of the city,” they were outside the auspices of the city’s Code of Conduct and therefore not within his jurisdiction.

“It does not mean that Greater Sudbury residents do not have any recourse,” he concluded. “This is a matter that can be addressed at the ballot box.”

Sudbury.com reached out to Boghosian to inquire as to why he drafted a report when the complaints against Leduc were outside his jurisdiction. Boghosian cited 21(5) of the city’s Code of Conduct, which clarifies that when cases are found to be outside his jurisdiction he can still produce a report to be shared confidentially or publicly, at his discretion.

“While I have a discretion whether to produce a report where I find I have no jurisdiction, and usually do not do so in such cases, I decided to produce a public report in this case given the number of complainants expressing concern about Coun. Leduc’s behavior (three) and my view that it was a matter of public interest given the sheer volume of inappropriate posts in issue,” he said. 

“Councillors must realize that their public posts are matters of public interest and govern themselves accordingly.”

Since no report was required due to the complaint falling outside the integrity commissioner's jurisdiction, Leduc said Boghosian should have dismissed it early on and not filed anything.

“He’s wasting the taxpayers’ money,” Leduc said, flagging Boghosian’s work on the report as billable hours. “It’s his discretion, which is costing the taxpayer money.”

Leduc said that Boghosian’s report is “blatant retaliation” in response to his motion to release the integrity commissioner of his contract with the city.

The motion was tabled at two prior city council meetings, but Leduc pulled it on both occasions. 

On Tuesday, Leduc told Sudbury.com he plans on re-tabling a reworded motion for a city council meeting later this month whose underlying goal remains firing Boghosian. 

“I will not be supporting any reports by Boghosian going forward,” Leduc said. “I’ve lost full confidence in his reports.”

Ward 10 Fern Cormier has tabled a motion for the Nov. 12 city council meeting which requests integrity commissioner costs be posted to the city’s website on a quarterly basis.

The information would include expenses separated into the following categories: Complaint investigation and reporting, advice to council, education and training and general information to the public.

The public portion of the Nov. 12 city council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. The meeting can be viewed in-person at Tom Davies Square or livestreamed by clicking here.

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.