Stratford City Council wants to suspend policy behind temporary ban

After a year of disruption and controversy at City Hall, a councillor wants to overturn Stratford’s respectful workplace policy.

The new directive was implemented last year.

“It’s designed for workplaces, including council meetings, where everyone is respectful but still allows for disagreements, but just so everyone is respectful,” said Council Member Cody Sebben.

Back in February, Mike Sullivan and Barb Shaughnessy were temporarily suspended from council meetings after allegedly using “unreasonable, inappropriate and harassing” language towards council and staff that “was known or reasonably should have been known to be unwelcome.”

After the two were banned, Sebben said it was time to re-examine the application of this policy.

“The most important thing now would be to just pause, step back and review the process that is going on and give everyone a chance to reflect and review and see how we can improve in the future,” he said.

According to Sebben, he had heard from residents that the bans imposed by the city were keeping people away from the city hall.

“The people who have come forward are afraid to speak at a meeting because they are afraid of getting a letter from a lawyer they just don’t want to deal with,” Sebben said.

A group called Save Our Speech Stratford has formed to fight against what they see as the city’s rigorous application of this policy.

“There were massive attacks on free speech and democratic principles at City Hall,” said Robert Roth, a spokesman for the group.

Roth said the group welcomed Sebben’s request to review the policy.

“Freedom of speech must not be used as a weapon against ordinary citizens in a public forum. A public forum has a special obligation to limit freedom of speech to the greatest extent possible,” Roth said.

Sebben’s request to suspend and review the policy is to be discussed at a council meeting on July 22.