Here’s what Hamilton council’s approved ‘safety plan’ for Terry Whitehead includes

Hamilton council has approved a safety plan to guard against unwanted interactions with colleague Terry Whitehead - ranging from stepped-up patrols to a buddy system" - after an ethics probe found he bullied municipal officials.

The strategy is meant to provide specific guidance" to council and staff on workplace harassment, Lora Fontana, executive director of human resources, told city politicians.

Objectives include limiting interactions with an individual known to have a history of harassing behaviours," Fontana said Monday.

In June, a city integrity commissioner probe found Whitehead had bullied and harassed two staff members and fellow councillor Judi Partridge. He was docked 45 days of pay.

The veteran Mountain councillor rejected the investigation's findings and said he'd planned to return to sick leave for an undisclosed illness. So, I will be going off because of my health, regrettably."

In addition to the pay penalty, council stipulated that Whitehead would have to inform politicians and staff ahead of trips to city hall but stopped short of a ban.

Council, however, asked staff to draft a safety plan to ensure a harassment-free workplace going forward.

On Monday, city politicians discussed an overview report but didn't share the details of a more specific, but confidential, plan tailored to Whitehead, who wasn't in attendance.

However, the public report noted the safety plan includes reporting protocols, investigative responsibilities, access restrictions through key locks and swipe cards, and enhanced" monitoring and patrolling by security staff.

It also involves safety measures for parking, entering and exiting city hall, including buddy systems" for co-workers to look out for each other."

It is a difficult issue that ... no one wants to happen, but given that it has occurred ... I think it's helpful to have something in place that would respond to similar circumstances and similar situations," Mayor Fred Eisenberger said.

The plan is generic enough" that it could apply to a variety of circumstances, Fontana said, but noted a component that's very specific" to the Whitehead issue.

The longtime Ward 14 councillor hasn't attended council or committee meetings since his suspension of pay.

His office didn't respond to a request for comment about his sick leave or potentially seeking another term in the Oct. 24 election.

Whitehead, who was first elected in 2003, hasn't detailed the nature of his condition but described it as a basically incurable" infection. I was losing my cognitive skills."

He marked his limited return to public meetings from a lengthy leave last year with frequent interruptions, angry rants and clashes.

The ethics probe found Whitehead directed disrespectful, bullying and intimidating" conduct toward Partridge during a Feb. 9 meeting.

The investigation also dealt with an interaction he had with city clerk Andrea Holland and a phone message he left with Lora Fontana, head of human resources, shortly after he returned from extended sick leave.

The investigation found he attended, unannounced" the clerk's office on Nov. 4, 2021, and proceeded to angrily criticize and challenge her role" in filing an earlier complaint that he bullied staff during a fall 2020 public works meeting.

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com