MONTREAL -- The City of Montreal and ethics counsellor Marc Lalonde ended their relationship this week after harassment accusations against Lalonde arose in an online publication.
The Quebec lawyers' publication Droit-Inc. published a story Wednesday detailing an investigation launched by Lalonde's law firm Belanger Sauve in 2018 that found Lalonde harassed a female colleague at the firm since 2017, where Lalonde is a partner.
"The City of Montreal was informed on January 29, 2020, at the end of the day (4 p.m.), of the situation and of the publication of the article in Droit-Inc. both by the management of the Bélanger Sauvé Firm and by Me Marc Lalonde himself," wrote City of Montreal media relations spokesperson Gabrielle Fontaine-Giroux. "Given the sensitive and symbolic function occupied by Me Marc Lalonde as an ethics counsellor, it was agreed after discussions that he would stop offering his services to the City of Montreal."
Fellow Belanger Sauve lawyer Michel Cantin will replace Lalonde until the end of the current contract.
Lalonde was hired in 2017 to act as an ethics and professional advisor for elected city employees and cabinet staff. Lalonde, or any ethics counsellor, is not a City of Montreal employee.
Lalonde denied to Droit-Inc. that he harassed anyone and that he considers the allegation defamatory.
