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234+8 Cutting in line? American Airlines’ new boarding tech might stop you at now over 100 airportsShare this Story : Ottawa councillor's profane outburst with daycare staff 'bullying and intimidation' Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Ottawa councillor's profane outburst with daycare staff 'bullying and intimidation' The city's integrity commissioner recommended official sanctions against rural Coun. Clarke Kelly for his behavior toward daycare staff. Get the latest from Blair Crawford straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Blair Crawford Published Nov 23, 2024 • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly. Photo by JULIE OLIVER / Postmedia Article content Ottawa’s integrity commissioner is recommending an official reprimand for West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly over a heated exchange he had last summer with staff at a daycare next to his rural Ottawa office. In her report on the July 3 incident, commissioner Karen E. Shepherd found Kelly’s “aggressive” behaviour toward the owner and staff of the West Carleton Kids Korner Daycare “did not meet the standards expected of elected officials.” Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content “I find that Councillor Kelly’s actions on July 3, 2024 were aggressive and amounted to bullying and intimidation of the staff of the Daycare, including the owner,” Shepherd wrote in her report, released Nov. 20 . Kelly was participating in a meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee that day via Zoom from his office in the West Carleton Community Complex on Carp Road near Kinburn Side Road. The daycare shares space in the complex and Shepherd found that Kelly had had previous run-ins with the owner because of the noise and behaviour of some of the children who attend. That morning, kids were playing outside his office window and banging on the glass during the meeting. Eventually, Kelly left his desk and went to an outside door to complain to daycare staff “in an aggressive manner” about the noise. Later, daycare staff said they heard Kelly shouting and dropping “F bombs” about the encounter through the walls of his office, although it’s not clear if the profanity was directed at anyone in particular. One daycare employee said children she was with probably heard it too, but couldn’t say if they would have recognized it as cursing. Evening Update The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Evening Update will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Shortly after that, there was a third encounter when Kelly went to the daycare door and argued with the owner, an encounter that was captured by a security camera with video, but no sound. The “kerfuffle in Kinburn” was previously reported by the Ottawa Citizen and in other local media outlets. “There is no question Councillor Kelly’s conduct was inappropriate,” Shepherd wrote. “Under the circumstances, it is understandable that Councillor Kelly was frustrated and felt the need to address the situation. That said, the manner in which Councillor Kelly spoke to the daycare owner, particularly the use of profanities, was aggressive and intimidating. “To be clear, at no time did Councillor Kelly enter Chambers to shout at or use vulgarities directed at daycare workers or children,” she added. Shepherd said she received four separate complaints in the days following the incident, although her report does not say who they were from. The daycare owner also contacted Ottawa police about the encounter. Investigators with the integrity commissioner’s office interviewed 11 people for the report, including Kelly and members of his staff who were in the office that day. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content In her findings, Shepherd acknowledged that Kelly’s concerns about the noise and the cleanliness of building’s public washrooms during the daycare’s summer sessions had been well documented. “I believe Councillor Kelly has a reasonable expectation of a professional work environment. Before the start of the 2024 summer camp program, Councillor Kelly and his staff made efforts to address their concerns through the appropriate channels. Though not an excuse for Councillor Kelly’s conduct that day, it does not appear that any action was taken in response to complaints from the Councillor’s Office about the noise and bathroom issues associated with the summer camp in 2023,” she wrote. Nevertheless, that didn’t excuse Kelly’s actions, she wrote. “Councillor Kelly’s actions that day fall within the realm of bullying and intimidation, but they do not meet the threshold for discrimination or harassment. While not acceptable conduct, Councillor Kelly’s interaction with daycare staff and the daycare owner were brief incidents in which he was responding to stressful conditions in his workplace.” Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Kelly admitted to investigators that his swearing was “inexcusable” and said he has since taken anger management training through the city’s employee assistance program. He promised “to learn from his mistakes.” In an email to the Citizen, Kelly said he appreciated the thoroughness of the commissioner’s investigation and that his handling of the incident had been a mistake. “I take responsibility for my reaction and use of strong language during an exchange on July 3rd. Everyone deserves to have a safe and positive work environment, and I am committed to ensuring that I will do my part to contribute to this,” Kelly said. “At the same time, I am grateful that the report concludes that I did not direct profanities at children or staff of the daycare, and that the commissioner carefully considered the context in which this situation occurred.” A call to the daycare for comment was not immediately returned. A reprimand is the lowest level of punishment that can be levelled under Ontario’s Municipal Act. For more serious infractions, councillors can be suspended without pay for up to 90 days. Council is to receive Shepherd’s report and vote on the reprimand recommendation at its next meeting on Nov. 27. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly, lower right, leaves his seat during a July 3, 2024 planning and housing committee meeting to confront staff of a day care to complain about noise outside his office window. 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The U.S. State Department says it has “taken steps to secure the U.S. embassy” in Syria following the collapse of the Assad government. This comes after the toppling of more than 50 years of a dictatorship there, showing an uncertain way forward for any new government. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," President Joe Biden said Sunday , but warned that the significant change will also mark a period of uncertainty for Syria and the region. "As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks," President Biden said. The Biden administration plans to lend its support to establishing a transitional government in Syria. The White House is in close communication with stakeholders in the region, including Jordan's King Abdullah. More conversations with leaders are expected in the days ahead. RELATED STORY | Military command of Syria's opposition says Damascus is 'free' of Bashar Assad's rule Other countries and groups have a shared interest in continued stability in Syria, but officials also acknowledged the power vacuum carries risks. White House officials told Scripps News the administration is focused on preventing the ISIS terror group from taking advantage of the situation. "One of the things that we're going to work hard to avoid is ISIS being able to exploit this situation and somehow try to revitalize," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said in an interview. "That is a message that we are sending to all the opposition groups through various means that this is not the opportunity — should not be the time — for a closer relationship, or any relationship, quite frankly, with Isis." "What we are backing is the Syrian people. And we want to make sure that again, through our interlocutors and through the United Nations, we're doing what we can to see legitimate governance there." The conflict in Syria has spanned multiple administrations and is often considered a proxy for the goals of other international actors, including Russia. Officials pointed in part to President Biden's support of Israel and Ukraine as factors that weakened Iran and Russia's ability to support Assad — and one senior administrator official explained that Assad's departure "changed the equation" in the Middle East. But Republican President-elect Donald Trump has indicated the U.S. relationship with Syria may change when he takes office. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend," Trump wrote on social media over the weekend. "The United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight." Kirby told Scripps News that for the remaining time the Biden Administration has to set U.S. foreign policy, it would continue its mission to suppress ISIS and support legitimate government in Syria.

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