Former Brampton councillor Gurpreet Dhillon has taken the City of Brampton to court, seeking an order that would strip a 2020 integrity commissioner's report from city websites as he campaigns to return to council in this month's election.
Dhillon filed a Notice of Action in Ontario's Superior Court of Justice on September 29, according to The Pointer. His claim hinges on a September 2023 letter in which the woman whose allegations triggered the report withdrew them and apologized.
The filing is an early step toward a lawsuit. The City of Brampton is the only named defendant, with the claim focused on its responsibility for material published on its websites.
What Dhillon is asking for
Dhillon is seeking a permanent injunction requiring the removal of the report, along with related links, summaries and recordings, from city websites, online portals and meeting archives. He also wants the city ordered to publish an acknowledgement that the complainant recanted her allegations.
The claim seeks $1 in general damages plus a further $50,000 in damages and legal costs, according to The Pointer. The outlet reported the city had not yet filed a notice of intent to defend and did not respond to a request for comment.
Background of the report
The dispute traces back to a report by integrity commissioner Muneeza Sheikh examining allegations connected to a city-led trade mission to Turkey in 2019. Dhillon denied the allegations and no police charges were ever laid.
Sheikh found Dhillon had breached the city's code of conduct provisions covering harassment and discreditable conduct. Council accepted her recommendations in 2020, including a 90-day suspension without pay.
A three-judge Superior Court panel largely upheld the report in June 2021, rejecting most of Dhillon's judicial review application. The panel found the investigation could reasonably proceed without a formal complaint and that Dhillon had not been denied procedural fairness.
The disputed recantation
The Pointer reported it obtained the complainant's September 1, 2023, letter to council withdrawing the allegations, and said it verified through her lawyer that the letter was valid.
Correspondence obtained by The Pointer shows Sheikh's lawyer told Dhillon's lawyer in November 2024 that Sheikh lacked statutory authority to remove the report and that any removal would require action by council.
At a May 6 council appearance, Sheikh said she had been unable to locate the complainant and could not authenticate the letter, according to The Pointer.
Timing tied to the campaign
Dhillon's claim limits the damages he is seeking to the election period that began with his May 28 nomination. He argues the report's continued online presence has forced him to spend campaign time and money responding to it.
Dhillon lost his council seat in 2022. He is now seeking election in the October 26 municipal vote.
