File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Kamloops Council

Kamloops councillor files for dismissal of mayor’s defamation suit under anti-intimidation law

Jun 11, 2024 | 2:33 PM

KAMLOOPS — One year after Kamloops mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit against a sitting city councillor, that councillor is trying to get it thrown out of court.

Councillor Katie Neustaeter filed a so-called ‘SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation)’ application against Hamer-Jackson’s suit Tuesday (June 11).

Under BC’s Protection of Public Participation Act, a defendant can apply to have a suit dismissed because it suppresses their ability to speak freely on a matter of public interest. The legislation is meant to prevent plaintiffs from using the legal system to intimidate defendants into keeping quiet.

Hamer-Jackson’s defamation suit against Neustaeter was filed on June 12, 2023. The mayor accused Neustaeter of making false statements about his conduct and his relationship with her father, former Kamloops MLA Kevin Krueger. It came after a March news conference in which Neustaeter, acting as a spokesperson for the eight Kamloops councillors, said Hamer-Jackson had repeatedly violated “personal and professional boundaries.”

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Neustaeter filed a response to Hamer-Jackson’s suit on July 24, denying all accusations and spelling out examples of the mayor’s alleged violations of boundaries.

After the SLAPP application was filed Tuesday, Neustaeter released this statement:

“For the past year I had hoped that Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson would take steps to de-escalate the situation by dropping his baseless and costly lawsuit. Unfortunately, Mayor Hamer-Jackson has instead repeatedly demonstrated that the concerns I expressed on behalf of Councillors were well-founded. Accordingly, I have proceeded with a SLAPP filing, seeking to dismiss the claim against me on the basis that my statements related to matters of public interest – the governance of our City.

This is the lowest-barrier course of action available to me through our legal system, and my hope is that this causes as little distraction as possible from now until the court date in November. All of Council must continue to focus on what truly matters – serving the public that elected us through the quality of our work and representation, and the ultimate prosperity of Kamloops.

I am confident that the merits of this case are in my favour and look forward to defending myself in response to this needless and vexatious action against me.”