• Council voted 6–0 to reopen sanctions against Councillor Rick Upton following a motion from Mayor Iain Lovatt.
  • The move was prompted by alleged interactions between Upton and Town Staff members, contrary to the restrictions imposed on him.
  • Sanctions stem from a 2025 Integrity Commissioner investigation that found Upton guilty of workplace and sexual harassment.
  • Upton disputes Lovatt’s new allegations, stating he did not initiate contact, is complying with restrictions, and registered for mandatory training.
  • Amended sanctions now require completion of his remedial training by May 15.
  • Council will revisit the matter again on June 3, when a report is expected on Upton’s compliance.

 

A surprise motion from Mayor Iain Lovatt this week reopened Council’s sanctions against Ward 4 Councillor Rick Upton, bringing new scrutiny to recent conduct and his compliance with previously imposed penalties.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Council voted unanimously, 6–0, to reconsider the November 2025 report outlining Upton’s past workplace and sexual harassment violations. Upton was not in attendance, and the vote easily met the required two-thirds threshold to reopen the matter and consider amendments to the original sanctions.

Introducing the motion, Lovatt pointed to recent events involving alleged prohibited interactions between Upton and Town Staff members. “There were a couple of incidents that happened over the last number of days that have brought this forward,” Lovatt said before reading his resolutions into the record.

Upton has refuted the allegations surrounding his recent public activities and defended the timeline of his training completion, drawing a sharp contrast with Lovatt’s accounts while suggesting the renewed Council action may be excessive.

The final amendments require Upton to complete outstanding remedial workplace and sexual harassment training by May 15. Lovatt’s motions reiterated that sanctions must be “meaningful, proportionate, and consistently applied,” with the stated aim of strengthening recommendations, reinforcing public trust, and demonstrating a continued commitment to high ethical standards.

Catalysts Behind the Motions

In a conversation with Bullet Point News, Lovatt said Upton attended both a groundbreaking ceremony last Friday and his town hall event on Monday. While emphasizing that Upton remains a sitting councillor and was within his rights to attend, Lovatt alleged that he interacted with municipal staff at both events.

“He is prohibited from interacting with staff in person, all of his interaction needs to be done virtually,” Lovatt explained, referencing the sanctions approved by Council in December. “I received complaints from staff who were interacted with at the event on Friday and on Monday night.”

Those reports raised concerns for Lovatt. “That, to me, is demonstrating that he either hasn’t taken the sanctions seriously, or he just thinks everything is back to normal,” he said. “I was made aware of a formal complaint sent to HR on Tuesday afternoon, which was the impetus for bringing the reconsideration motion forward.”

The Mayor also directly referenced Upton’s earlier apology to Council, in which he committed to learning, improving, and rebuilding trust through accountability. “Since saying those words in Council many months ago, he’s demonstrated that he doesn’t understand the severity of what happened,” he added.

The motion was also intended to send a clear message to Town Staff that Council remains committed to enforcing its Code of Conduct. He noted that concerns raised by members of the public following Upton’s attendance at the town hall contributed to his decision to act.

Lovatt said he was not interested in pursuing a new Integrity Commissioner complaint related to the recent interactions, instead opting for what he described as a more immediate approach. “A motion to reconsider was the easiest way to address some of the comments I heard from staff, as well as the people that were at my town hall, who were very upset that he was there,” he said.

Mandatory remedial training was among the sanctions imposed in December, though Lovatt acknowledged that Council did not set a firm deadline for completion at the time. He described that omission as a “missed opportunity,” noting that training had been arranged and made available to Upton shortly after the original decision.

“Our original amended motion said that if he should not choose to resign, he should do his training as set out by the CAO and the HR director,” Lovatt said.

Upton Responds

Upton disputed Lovatt’s characterization of events, maintaining that he did not initiate contact with Town employees at either the groundbreaking or the town hall. In a brief conversation following a request for comment, he said any interactions were limited to responding to staff who approached him, describing them as brief and courteous exchanges.

In a subsequent written statement, Upton also addressed the status of his required training, pointing to a longer wait for direction from the Town’s human resources department. He noted that sanctions were issued on December 3, 2025, and that he was informed training would not be available until the new year.

“I did not receive a recommended training course until mid-February,” Upton stated. “Recognizing the seriousness of the sanctions, I took the initiative while awaiting Human Resources’ guidance and completed six courses at my own expense.”

After completing those courses, Upton said he registered for the mandatory training recommended by HR. “This was done prior to the Wednesday Council meeting,” he said.

“Had the Mayor asked, I would have provided this information to him,” Upton added. “This felt like a heavy-handed approach to reintroducing this subject at a public Council meeting.”

Regarding Monday’s town hall, Upton referenced a Tuesday Facebook comment from Lovatt stating, “Upton did not interact with staff present. He listened and left.”

“This is accurate. I did not speak with any staff at that event,” Upton wrote. “I also attended the groundbreaking on Friday, April 10. The only staff I interacted with were those who approached me, and the interactions were limited to brief pleasantries.”

Next Steps

A senior Stouffville official with knowledge of the situation confirmed Upton notified the Town of his training registration ahead of the April 15 Council meeting, and that he indicated he had completed additional training independently.

The official also confirmed formal HR complaints were received, and they noted that Upton’s signed training contract was submitted just hours before Council convened. Payment for the required course was paid in full the night of April 16.

With a May 15 deadline now in place, Town Staff have been directed to arrange the required training “at the earliest possible opportunity” and ensure a defined timeline for completion.

Council is expected to receive confirmation of Upton’s training completion on June 3, ensuring the matter will return to a public agenda once again.

Cover image provided by the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville