Integrity Commissioner Benjamin M. Drory has released reports finding both Mayor Mike Bradley and Coun. Bill Dennis in violation of the council's Code of Conduct, specifically Section 12.2.
This section prohibits council members from using indecent, abusive, or insulting language or behavior toward the public, other members, or staff. It also forbids discriminatory comments or conduct based on race, ancestry, origin, color, citizenship, creed, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or any other grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Dawn Flegel, Executive Director of Sarnia-Lambton’s Children’s Aid Society (CAS), filed a complaint against Coun. Dennis on May 21, 2024. This was in response to Dennis’s comments about a job posting by CAS on Facebook, which sought child protection workers, encouraging applicants who identified as Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, or bilingual (French-speaking).
Dennis criticized the posting, sharing on his Facebook page, “When I’m mayor, all City hiring will be based on merit… And we will never grant money to organizations like this who practice discriminatory hiring practices. I will restore common sense and kick woke craziness out of City Hall.” Flegel called the post "harmful and damaging."
In a May 23, 2024 letter to The Journal, Flegel defended the job posting, writing, “Diversity and inclusion are not only ethical and legal imperatives, but also necessities, particularly in areas like child welfare services.”
The Integrity Commissioner’s 40-page report noted that the dispute escalated when Dennis called Flegel a "grifter" in a separate Facebook post on May 23, 2024. In the post, Dennis accused Flegel of profiting from what he described as the “race hustling/victim business” and referred to her and others as “bat s*** crazy lunatics.” Flegel said these personal attacks were not only disrespectful but also damaging to the work her organization was doing.
Drory noted this was the third time since his appointment as Integrity Commissioner in March 2023 that he had found Coun. Dennis in violation of the Code of Conduct. He acknowledged some mitigating factors in Dennis’ favour, such as Flegel making parts of the complaint public, which violated the confidentiality required by the investigation process.
Still, Drory stated, “There was clearly no acknowledgement of wrongdoing, or indication of remorse or regret in this case, and I consider the wording of the May 23, 2024 post relatively flagrant.” He recommended a two-day suspension for Dennis, less severe than a previous 45-day suspension for a prior offence.
A separate report found Mayor Mike Bradley in violation of Section 12.2 after an email exchange with local realtor Patrick Coutu. The exchange began on July 13, 2024, when Coutu emailed Bradley and city officials about issues with homeless camps near Rainbow Park, which he said were affecting nearby rental properties.
In response, Bradley mentioned the lack of a Business Improvement Area (BIA) for downtown Sarnia, which Coutu had previously advocated for. This led to a heated back-and-forth over the failure to establish a BIA, culminating in Bradley calling Coutu “difficult to work with” in an email copied to the entire council and several senior city staff members.
Drory found that Bradley’s comment, while not as severe as other cases, was unnecessary and damaging to Coutu’s reputation. “A comment from the mayor claiming that Mr. Coutu is negative and difficult to deal with—a disparaging statement which the evidence in this case doesn’t corroborate—could easily damage Mr. Coutu’s reputation and professional livelihood,” Drory wrote.
This was Bradley’s first violation under Drory's tenure, and Drory recommended a two-day suspension without pay to express the council’s disapproval.
The final decisions on penalties for both Coun. Dennis and Mayor Bradley will be made at an upcoming city council meeting, where council members can choose to issue suspensions or reprimands. The meeting will be held electronically on October 28.