The City of Montreal will pay $130,000 to the former mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Sue Montgomery, and $170,000 to her former chief of staff, Annalisa Harris, as part of two out-of-court settlements aimed at resolving disputes that have persisted since 2019.
Elected as mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in 2017 under the banner of Projet Montréal, Sue Montgomery found herself at the center of a controversy in 2019 after a report from the Respect Division of the person (DRP) of the City had accused its chief of staff, Annalisa Harris, of psychological harassment against two officials of the district.
Sue Montgomery refused to fire her chief of staff, believing that there was insufficient evidence to sanction her employee. This decision led to his expulsion from the Projet Montréal party by Mayor Valérie Plante in January 2020.
In December 2020, however, the Superior Court ruled in favor of Sue Montgomery and ordered the City to stop prohibiting Annalisa Harris from communicating with borough officials.
At the beginning of June 2021, Annalisa Harris filed a lawsuit for more than $186,000 against the City and Mayor Plante, claiming that the allegations of psychological harassment made against her were “unfounded” and that they had damaged his reputation.
A few days later, it was Sue Montgomery’s turn to file a $120,000 lawsuit against Valérie Plante, the Comptroller General, Me Alain Bond, and the City of Montreal. Mme Montgomery accused Mayor Plante of having tarnished her reputation by making “untruthful” remarks about her.
The out-of-court settlement therefore puts an end to these two disputes. In a press release, the City says it takes note of the judgments of December 2020 and January 2022. “The City of Montreal recognizes that the DRP reports did not conclude that Mme Montgomery herself committed actions that affected the work climate within her district,” it is underlined.
” I am very happy. It allows me to turn the page,” commented Annalisa Harris. “It is not because you are a political employee that you do not have the same rights as other workers. You can’t just ask for someone to be fired without proof. » According to her, however, this affair could have been avoided if Mayor Valérie Plante had read the DRP report which, she maintains, did not contain evidence against her.
Sue Montgomery tried to get re-elected as mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce in 2021 by creating her own party called “Courage — Team Sue Montgomery”. However, she bit the dust and it was Projet Montréal candidate, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, who won.