The woman who ran for the PCs in St. Barbe-L’Anse aux Meadows says she understands the decision to remove her as president of MNL.
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador met last night to remove Sheila Fitzgerald from the position after she shared a post that contained racist sentiments.
An apologetic Fitzgerald says she shared the post “mindlessly” without reading down through it and subsequently deleted it when it was brought to her attention within 24 hours.
She offered an apology and told the VOCM Morning Show the post does not reflect her values.
She’s worked on “countless” boards and committees over the years and says anyone who knows her knows the work she’s done as “a strong advocate for justice and equality and inclusion.”
Fitzgerald says it shouldn’t have happened, and she understands MNL’s decision to remove her as President of the organization based on its ethical conduct policy.
Earlier Story
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador’s Board of Directors has voted to remove Sheila Fitzgerald as president.
This after Fitzgerald shared a racist Facebook post on her personal page yesterday that condemned immigration among other things.
She took to Twitter shortly after deleting the post to say she mindlessly shared it without thinking and that it does not reflect her true values.
The board held a special meeting last evening and in a statement released today said that “MNL operates within a clearly defined Code of Ethical Conduct policy and the Board agrees that Ms. Fitzgerald’s social media post is in direct violation of that policy.”
MNL says they denounce racism and intolerance in all forms.
The Board took further steps by committing to diversity and anti-racism training as well as a complete review of their internal policies.
“On the morning of March 29, 2021, it came to Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador’s (MNL) attention that Sheila Fitzgerald shared a racist Facebook post. There was an immediate and coordinated effort to hold a special meeting of the Board of Directors that same day.
MNL operates within a clearly defined Code of Ethical Conduct policy and the Board agrees that Ms. Fitzgerald’s social media post is in direct violation of that policy. Last night, after reviewing the facts and our governing documents, it voted to remove Ms. Fitzgerald from her role on the Board.
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador denounces racism and intolerance in all forms. MNL is committed to sustaining a culture of diversity and inclusion, and will continue to work to strengthen equity in our municipalities. As leaders in our communities, we have a responsibility to listen to underrepresented voices and call out acts of hatred, racism, and discrimination.
Over the coming months, MNL will strengthen its relationship with the BIPOC community as we continue to collaborate with our partners to fight racism and discrimination in our communities.
The Board has committed to diversity and anti-racism training starting at the Symposium and AGM in May and we will be developing supports for municipal leaders to help them fight racism and xenophobia in their communities. We are also committed to a complete review of our own internal policies to ensure the elimination of any systemic racism.
MNL apologizes for this incident and recognizes the impact it has had on our community and individuals affected by racism every day. If any member has questions, we encourage you to reach out to us via email at info@municipalnl.ca.”
