Sue Montgomery wins legal challenge, won't be suspended without pay before election
Sue Montgomery, the mayor of Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, can stay on the job, a Quebec Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday.
The decision lifts a four-month suspension Montgomery was set to begin serving today.
The Quebec Municipal commission suspended Montgomery for 120 days without pay after finding her guilty of 11 ethics violations.
Montgomery challenged the suspension in Quebec Superior Court, arguing the commission made several procedural errors and was biased.
In today's decision, the court lifted Montgomery's suspension until a hearing can be held on the merits of the case.
That hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5.
Montgomery can resume her work as mayor and draw her salary until at least then.
11 ethics violations in connection with harassment allegations
The commission found Montgomery guilty last month of 11 ethics violations.
They included disrespecting and insulting civil servants on several occasions, once trying to withhold pay from a civil servant who had alleged harassment and failing to divulge conflicts of interest pertaining to harassment at council meetings.
All the ethics violations are connected to allegations of psychological harassment of civil servants against Montgomery's former chief of staff, Annalisa Harris.
Both Montgomery and Harris have vigorously denied the allegations.
Mayor Valérie Plante's office praised the suspension, as did the opposition Ensemble Montréal party.
Montgomery was kicked out of Plante's party when the allegations first surfaced.
