Cambridge councillor could face punishment, suspension of pay over Facebook post

Cambridge Ward 6 Councillor Adam Cooper could be reprimanded and handed a 10-day suspension of pay for posting a meme to his Facebook profile that some labelled transphobic.

Cambridge council will consider accepting the recommendations made by the city’s Integrity Commissioner at a council meeting on Tuesday.

The post was made to Cooper’s personal Facebook profile on Jan. 22, depicting a person with coloured hair and the caption: “He took my pronouns! I have to live in reality now!”

Before the post was deleted the following day, Cooper had an exchange with Eric Bolton, founder of Grand River Pride, in the comments section in which Bolton criticized Cooper for “publicly bullying a minority,” while Cooper said: “I’ll proudly represent reality and those that support it.”

While Cooper claims to have “little interest in U.S. politics” according to the report from the Integrity Commissioner, they did find that his post was made shortly after an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” in which Trump ordered that the U.S. will recognize only two sexes, male and female.

Cooper claimed that he did not recommend, suggest or condone the unequal treatment of people contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code, adding that the post was made without relation to the activities of elected office. He added that humour and hyperbole are forms of persuasion, often used in informal debate.

The post and the reaction to it prompted a statement from Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett.

“Generally, I do not speak out when a member of council past or present makes public comments on the radio, print media nor social media, but a recent social media post has been brought to my attention while I am out of the country,” stated Liggett. “The implications within the meme have brought distress and pain to families and members of our community; therefore, in this instance, and as Mayor, spokesperson, and leader of our community, I feel that this warrants a response. It does not represent council nor the corporation’s thoughts on gender fluidity.”

Taking all of that and much more into account, the Integrity Commissioner recommended that Cooper be reprimanded and handed a 10-day suspension of pay. Council can choose to approve these recommendations, deny them, or approve them in a modified format.

In an appearance on The Mike Farwell Show on Tuesday, Cooper declined to comment on the Integrity Commissioner’s recommendations, adding that he would only comment on the matter after a decision had been made at council.

“It’s going to be a very interesting night,” said Cooper.