Winnipeg city council is set to vote on what to do with a member charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a man he met on social media.
Mayor Scott Gillingham put forward a motion Tuesday to have council vote on removing Russ Wyatt from the five boards and committees that he sits on, which include the Winnipeg Food Council and the Winnipeg Public Library Board.
Some of the groups include members of the public.
“It seems like things are just going on as if nothing happened. These are serious, serious charges. And I think we have to act in such a manner as a council that we show that we’re taking this matter seriously,” Gillingham told reporters.
The vote is expected at the next council meeting on April 30.
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Gillingham said councillors have heard from some constituents who are uneasy about Wyatt continuing his duties while his case makes its way through the courts.
Wyatt faces charges of sexual assault and administering a noxious drug.
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The 56-year-old was arrested last month. Police have said a man came forward to report that he was given an illicit drug and sexually assaulted.
Police allege Wyatt and the complainant connected on a social media website and started meeting in person in December.
Wyatt has maintained his innocence, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
The councillor for the Transcona ward, first elected in 2002, has chosen to remain on council, despite calls from the mayor and other members for him to step away.
A city charter allows councillors to work while charges are pending against them, so council is restricted in what they can enforce.
“The councillor was provided an opportunity to step away. He chose not to do that. This formal process is the only option we have, and I’m supportive of it,” said Evan Duncan, councillor for the Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood ward.
“I would like to see some changes (to the charter). But we are handcuffed with the options that we have, and we’ve taken the ones available to us.”
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Coun. Janice Lukes also supported the motion, saying she was in favour of having Wyatt removed from council.
“I think that the public would support that, and I would support that,” said Lukes, who represents Waverley West.
“I’ve had some calls or emails from residents expressing their opinion. It’s a very serious charge. Some people feel uncomfortable.”
Gillingham said he left a message for Wyatt earlier in the day informing him of the motion.
Wyatt and his lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wyatt was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018. The charge was stayed the following year before his trial was scheduled to start.
At the time, police revealed few details about the case but described it as a serious sexual assault. Investigators said the complainant was a woman known to Wyatt.
In early 2018, Wyatt took a leave of absence from council to go to a rehab program for substance abuse. He returned in May of that year.
Soon after, he came out as bisexual during a Pride parade rally at the legislature.
He successfully ran again for the Transcona seat in 2022.
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