Another employee at Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce mayor Sue Montgomery’s borough office has quit their job.
In a scathing letter obtained by Global News on Wednesday, Chad Walcott outlines what he describes as a toxic workplace environment.
“Over the past year, I have witnessed the level of relentlessness with which the mayoress tries to get rid of her ‘enemies,'” he wrote.
Some elected officials in the borough say they are fed up with conditions at the borough office, conditions Montgomery has always denied.
“For years we’ve been hearing about chaos in her office, harassment of employees,” Marvin Rotrand, city councillor for Snowdon district pointed out.
According to city councillor for Loyola district Christian Arsenault, something has to be done.
“Three excellent employees have left the mayor’s and councillors’ office due to a toxic workplace,” he noted.
In his letter, Walcott wrote that “the reason for his departure is because a toxic climate has reigned in the mayor’s office since November 2019, and keeps getting worse.”
Walcott also alleged that Montgomery tried to end his contract early.
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That is something to which elected officials tried to get answers to during a borough council meeting on April 7th.
“There was an allegation made that you tried to buy out his contract,” city councillor for Darlington district and city of Montreal opposition leader Lionel Perez asked to know during the proceedings.
“Can you just confirm to me that there was never any attempt to buy out his contract?”
Montgomery refused to answer at first saying human resources matters aren’t discussed publicly. When Perez pressed her, she claimed she did not buy him out.
“Obviously you didn’t; he resigned,” Perez persisted, “but you didn’t try?”
“He resigned,” Montgomery replied.
Arsenault noted that Montgomery didn’t say whether she tried to buy Walcott out and is demanding more answers.
“Was there intimidation, was there some kind of pressure, was there a financial offer?” he wondered.
Montgomery was removed from Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s Projet Montréal party after refusing to fire her chief of staff over harassment allegations, which Montgomery and her chief of staff deny.
The borough mayor will face the Quebec Municipal Commission on multiple ethics charges which include an alleged failure to ensure a workplace free of harassment. Arsenault is wondering if this latest allegation could be added to the list.
“The ongoing toxic workplace where the employer is unable to guarantee a safe and healthy workplace free of harassment, that’s an ethical lapse,” he pointed out.
Global News did not hear back from Montgomery’s office after a request for an interview.
Walcott declined to comment.
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