Kincardine resident outraged at disgusting comment by councillor Dave Cuyler

To the Editor:

I am writing today as a resident of Kincardine to express my utmost outrage, disgust, and disappointment at the comment I heard during Monday night’s Kincardine council meeting.

Councillor Dave Cuyler’s verbal attack on councillor Laura Haight was a disgusting display of bigotry, misogyny, and sexism. I cannot think of any setting where it would be appropriate to verbally assault someone by calling them a “fucking cunt.” Thus, I was in utter disbelief when I witnessed Cuyler, an elected official who represents the interests of Kincardine, directly refer to Haight this way in the middle of the council meeting.

Further, the fact that Cuyler remains on council today after making this comment not only makes me embarrassed to be a resident of Kincardine but is also a stark reminder of the progress that is still needed to eradicate the evident sexism that is entrenched in our local government. While I will not comment on the fact that this is not the first time Cuyler has exhibited inappropriate behaviours, it is clear that prior reprimands have been to no avail.

I am also ashamed of mayor Gerry Glover’s reaction to Cuyler’s attack of Haight. Although he was not elected to be Kincardine’s mayor, with many starkly opposed to the idea, Glover is obligated to uphold the standards of professionalism within council, an obligation he failed to fulfill during Monday night’s meeting.

Although a default leader, Glover is, nonetheless, the leader of Kincardine council. When given the opportunity to address the situation, after briefly pausing the meeting to discuss next steps, Glover failed to immediately respond to and condemn Cuyler’s verbal attack on Haight and this is, unfortunately, demonstrative of Glover’s inability to lead. In no situation is it okay to stay silent when a man calls a woman a cunt.

Further, not only did Glover not publicly condemn the comments made by Cuyler, he reminded councillors to make sure their microphones were off because their comments were being picked up on the broadcast, signalling that this type of behaviour is somehow acceptable if done away from the public ear. This is shameful.

As a resident of Kincardine, I expect and demand accountability for the actions of Cuyler immediately.

Thank you,
Airianna Murdoch-Fyke
Kincardine
B.Soc.Sci, J.D.