Q+A: Defiant Chatham-Kent politician in integrity probe fires back

Docked three months’ pay, after an integrity watchdog concluded she used her position to bully and intimidate, including in social media posts, a Chatham-Kent politician is digging in, insisting she did nothing wrong, feels “persecuted” and plans to file a complaint herself.

Chatham-Kent Coun. Rhonda Jubenville was dealt the maximum pay penalty by the majority of council in a vote Monday, after integrity commissioner Mary Ellen Bench determined Jubenville’s behavior breached council’s code of conduct.

The investigation stemmed from social media posts by Jubenville after council defeated her motion last April to have Chatham-Kent fly only government flags, seen by critics as a way to ban LGBTQ Pride flags. Deciding which organizations could fly flags on municipal property became a hot-button issue when council refused a flag-raising request from the group Life in Motion, an anti-abortion group.

Debate followed about flag-raising requests from other groups, such as Pride, LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter.

Wednesday, Jubenville fielded questions by the Chatham Daily News about the fallout of the investigation, her penalty and what happens next. Following are highlights of that interview, edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you have regrets about social media posts you made that resulted in the investigation?

I regret that they were taken out of context. In the report, it says I bullied, harassed and intimidated (through) my social media posts, but I have yet to see where that actually took place. I don’t know who I bullied or intimidated or harassed. I don’t know who felt that by my posts, so it’s hard for me to regret doing it when I don’t even know who it affected. As far as I know, in Canada, we have that freedom to have freedom of our thoughts and opinions and speech as long as it’s not hateful. My speech isn’t hateful.

Q: The commissioner’s report contained an allegation that an unnamed council member was calling fellow councilors before your flag-raising motion (and) asking them to vote against it and stating you were anti-LGBTQ and anti-Black. The integrity commissioner has invited you to file a formal complaint. Do you plan to do that?

I am going to now. But with that being said, when I spoke to (the integrity commissioner during the investigation) she told me that she was going to follow up with that complaint. And that did not happen.

Q: How soon do you expect to file that complaint?

Today. I know who it is, but I’m not going to name that person (in this interview).

Q: Your Facebook has a post referencing Modern Catholic Mom with a photo of Joan of Arc. Do you feel you’ve been a martyr in this process?

No, I would never elevate myself that high. But, I do get attacked a lot. I would say I’m being persecuted, absolutely. I was mocked by another councilor for my Christian faith in council chambers Monday night.

Q: How do you feel about the majority of council voting for you to receive the maximum penalty?

I’m actually disappointed, disheartened and saddened. . . I think my fellow councilors have taken the (commissioner’s) report out of context. It was clear in the responses of some of the councilors; three of them, I felt, were hostile toward me in their responses. I try to remain unbiased, I try to be open-minded to see how people feel, but a lot of them made it about other people. They said what my supporters or my followers did. I don’t know who those people are. I don’t encourage anyone to do anything. . . I feel that the councilors did not actually vote on the report that was provided to them.

Q: Some councilors supported you, others didn’t. What kind of relationship did you have with council before the investigation?

I am an independent critical thinker, but I realize I have to work with other people on council. I’m more than willing to do that. I always want what’s best for Chatham-Kent, so I will always keep that in the forefront.

Q: How do you see that relationship with council going forward?

As far as I am concerned, any motion that comes forward or anything that needs to be addressed or discussed, I won’t let any personal bias come into play, because I was elected to help Chatham-Kent and advocate for people in Chatham- Kent.

Q: The commissioner said she wouldn’t divulge the names of your accusers, out of concern for their safety. She also said she requested a police presence for this past Monday’s council meeting out of concern for her own safety after email and phone calls she received. How concerned are you that some of your supporters cause fear in others?

I don’t know who these people are. No one has ever been named to me. I feel like it’s propaganda against me to develop a narrative in the media and the political world to set people against me. First of all, those people are not me; and secondly, I’ve never told anyone to do anything. I condemn that kind of behavior. . . I would never incite something like that.

Q: The report outlined a number of your social media posts. Why, as a civic councilor, did you feel it necessary to post about a school board having a professional development day involving a workshop to prepare for a drag queen story time event?

Because teachers in the school board were reaching out to me privately, asking me to get it out to the public. They disagreed with it and they know I have a platform. The post wasn’t of an attacking nature, it was just spreading information. I think parents deserve to know what’s going on in their children’s schools. . . I have nothing against drag queens. . . to me it’s an adult form of entertainment. If people want to go watch drag queens, they have every right to so. I question why they need to be in school settings.

Q: What’s keeping you going?

I have strong faith, and there are a lot of people behind me asking me to continue going. There are some people in the LGBTQ community who feel I have ill feelings or hatred or bad feelings toward them, but I’ve never, ever said anything of that nature. Just because I may not subscribe to a movement or an ideology doesn’t mean I can’t respect the people or love the people. This has been completely blown out of proportion and taken out of context about who I am and what I represent.