Teunis Westbroek Censure: Bullying and Harassment Records

What happened

1. September 16, 2019. The incident behind the finding happened at this Council meeting, the Parksville Qualicum Beach News reported. The Town has not said what happened, who complained or who made the finding.

   Source: Qualicum Beach discloses more details on motion of censure against councillor (Sep 9, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News)

2. Fall 2021. Westbroek asked a staff member to shred a letter about the incident, written by a former employee. In his words: “Last fall, I requested staff deal with an issue that I should have discussed with council first.”

   Sources: Qualicum Beach council issues motion of censure against councillor (Jan 14, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News); Qualicum Beach discloses more details on motion of censure against councillor (Sep 9, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News)

3. December 8, 2021. In a closed meeting, Council unanimously censured him. He was told of his right to a lawyer, given the material Council relied on, and given a chance to respond first.

   Sources: Special Council minutes, Dec 8, 2021 (closed meeting) (Town of Qualicum Beach); Media release: Release of Information Regarding the Motion of Censure for Councillor Westbroek (Sep 9, 2022) (Town of Qualicum Beach)

4. January 12, 2022. The Town announced the censure for “conduct unbecoming of a member of Town Council”, with no other detail. The Town later said it kept the statement short at his request, because he had told Council he would retire at the end of the term.

   Sources: Regular Council agenda, Jan 12, 2022 (statement on the censure, p. 9) (Town of Qualicum Beach); Media release: Release of Information Regarding the Motion of Censure for Councillor Westbroek (Sep 9, 2022) (Town of Qualicum Beach)

5. August 18, 2022. After Westbroek said he would run again, a councillor gave notice of a motion to release more about the censure.

   Source: Media release: Release of Information Regarding the Motion of Censure for Councillor Westbroek (Sep 9, 2022) (Town of Qualicum Beach)

6. September 6, 2022. Council met in closed session and voted to release the reason. Westbroek voted against adopting the agenda and against closing the meeting. Mayor Wiese and Councillors Harrison and Filmer passed the motion; Councillor Skipsey was absent.

   Sources: Special Council minutes, Sep 6, 2022 (Town of Qualicum Beach); Qualicum Beach discloses more details on motion of censure against councillor (Sep 9, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News)

7. September 9, 2022. The Town’s media release gave the reason: he had asked staff “to destroy records, specifically records associated with a previous finding against him”, which found he had violated the Bullying and Harassment Policy.

   Source: Media release: Release of Information Regarding the Motion of Censure for Councillor Westbroek (Sep 9, 2022) (Town of Qualicum Beach)

8. October 2022. Westbroek was elected Mayor.

   Source: Qualicum Beach mayor settles defamation case with public apology, $130K settlement (Feb 8, 2023) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News)

A censure is Council’s formal statement that a member’s conduct was unacceptable. The Town’s records show no other sanction against him for this.

What each side has said

The Town

“Council took this matter very seriously and would not have taken such actions over a minor concern.” Council says due process was followed both times, and that confidentiality stops members and staff saying more.

Sources: Media release: Release of Information Regarding the Motion of Censure for Councillor Westbroek (Sep 9, 2022) (Town of Qualicum Beach)

Westbroek

In January 2022: “My mistake which I have apologized for. No excuses. I know better.” In September 2022 he said the letter was written without Council’s direction and wasn’t marked confidential, that “no formal complaint was submitted”, and that he had already apologized. He questioned the timing, nine days after he announced his run for Mayor: “that should not result in political retribution.”

Sources: Qualicum Beach council issues motion of censure against councillor (Jan 14, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News); Qualicum Beach discloses more details on motion of censure against councillor (Sep 9, 2022) (Parksville Qualicum Beach News); Qualicum Beach councillor running for mayor was censured for asking to destroy records, Town says (2022) (CHEK News)

What isn’t public

• The finding that he broke the Bullying and Harassment Policy: who made it, when, and what it said.
• What happened at the September 16, 2019 meeting. The Town’s minutes of that meeting don’t record an incident.
• Whether the records were destroyed. Nothing published says they were.

Minutes: Special Council minutes, Sep 16, 2019 (Town of Qualicum Beach)

If you have a public document that answers any of these, send it to facts@LetThemEatGolf.ca and we will add it.

A separate investigation, 2021

In December 2020, Councillor Robert Filmer took leave, saying he faced discrimination on Council. The Town hired Innova Strategy Group to investigate. In February 2021 the Town said it found “no evidence of discrimination, bullying or harassment as described by policy or law”. The findings list nine items. Three were about Westbroek: his 2019 vote on the rainbow crosswalk, his absence from the 2020 Pride flag raising, and statements he made in a closed meeting on July 13, 2020. The investigator found no evidence of discrimination in any of them. This is a different matter from the censure, and nothing public links the two.

Sources: Public Statement: Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (Feb 9, 2021) (Town of Qualicum Beach); Findings: Innova Strategy Group investigation of Councillor Filmer’s allegations (2021) (Town of Qualicum Beach)