A councillor has been suspended for two months after a panel found he had made discriminatory comments against a school child.
We reported earlier this week that Argyll and Bute Councillor Alastair Redman was facing a standards hearing about how he handled an issue related to a school in January 2023.
Details of the allegations emerged today and they concerned phone conversations between Mr Redman and a member of council staff.
Several parents had alleged to Mr Redman that a 15-year-old child had gained unauthorised access to the girls’ changing rooms and a recording device had been found there.
‘Sexually deviant’
The school and police investigated and concluded the child had not entered the changing rooms and the recording device had nothing to do with the child.
We are not naming the school to protect the identity of the child.
It was alleged that Mr Redman said to the council officer that, because the child cross-dressed, it was likely the child put video recording equipment in a girls’ changing room and that people who cross-dressed were more likely to be sexually deviant.
Mr Redman denied making the comments.
But the panel trusted the council officer’s written note of the conversation.
After hearing this morning, a Standards Commission for Scotland panel ruled that Mr Redman was entitled to his own political views and to pass on constituents’ concerns – but had gone beyond that.
‘Serious accusation’
The panel said Mr Redman had made “a serious, unfounded and gratuitous” accusation of potential criminality against the child, simply because of how they allegedly and occasionally dressed.
“We decided to suspend Cllr Redman for two months,” the Standards Commission for Scotland said.
“This was after he was found to have made disrespectful and discriminatory comments about a child in telephone conversations with an officer from the council’s education department in January 2023.”
After the hearing, Mr Redman said: “This suspension changes nothing.
“If they think they can intimidate me into silence, they are badly mistaken.”
Ashleigh Dunn, who chaired the panel, said: “The panel found that, during the telephone calls, Cllr Redman effectively made a serious accusation on his own behalf (as opposed to just passing on what his constituents had allegedly told him).
“This being both that the child had undertaken a potentially criminal act and was also likely to be ‘sexually deviant’.
‘Disrespectful’
“The panel was not provided with any evidence to show this accusation was based on anything other than how Cllr Redman understood the child occasionally dressed.
“The panel considered that making such an accusation in the circumstances was disrespectful towards the child.”
During the hearing, the panel accepted that Mr Redman made the remark about cross-dressers being more likely to be sexually deviant in the context of the discussion about the child.
A spokesman added: “As such, even if it was also a general opinion about individuals who cross-dress, it was not plausible to perceive it, reasonably, as being an entirely separate and distinct statement.
“The panel was not provided with any evidence to show this accusation was based on anything other than how Cllr Redman understood the child occasionally dressed.
‘He failed to foster good relationships’
“The panel was further satisfied from the evidence that Cllr Redman’s accusation was based on an understanding that the child was transgender, or because he was under the misapprehension that anyone who cross-dressed must be transgender.
“The panel agreed that, in making an unsubstantiated accusation on the basis of a protected characteristic, perceived or otherwise, Cllr Redman failed to foster good relations between different people.”
The Standards Commission for Scotland described Cllr Redman’s remarks as “very serious and unsubstantiated” and his behaviour “inappropriate, offensive and intimidating”.
The panel said it was concerned that Mr Redman had not shown insight into the potential impact of his conduct, particularly to the child or their family.
Ms Dunn added: “The code of conduct does not prevent councillors from passing on concerns constituents raise with them to council officers.
“The panel considered, however, that Cllr Redman could have done so without engaging in disrespectful and discriminatory behaviour.
“It therefore did not consider that a restriction on his right to freedom of expression would, in any way, restrict his ability to undertake his role in assisting his constituents in making their concerns known to council officers.”
‘A disgrace’
Reacting to the ruling, Mr Redman said: “This ruling is a disgrace and a politically motivated attempt to silence me for standing up for the protection of girls’ spaces.
“I was elected to represent my constituents and relay their safeguarding concerns – yet I am being punished for doing exactly that.
“This is not justice – it is an attack on free speech and democracy.
“The so-called ‘investigation’ was biased from the outset.
“How can the Ethical Standards Commission (a separate organisation to the Standards Commission for Scotland which is also involved in the process) claim impartiality when every member I have been in contact with includes pronouns in their email signatures?
“Their decision is not about upholding standards – it is about enforcing an ideology and punishing those who refuse to comply.
“We are seeing more and more cases across Scotland where people are punished simply for standing up for women’s rights.
“Just look at what is happening to Nurse Sandie Peggie.
“This is the dangerous path we are on: where safeguarding concerns are ignored, and those who raise them are targeted.
“Let me be absolutely clear – I remain a councillor, and I will not stop fighting for women and girls’ right to single-sex spaces.
“This suspension changes nothing.
“If they think they can intimidate me into silence, they are badly mistaken.
“The people who elected me know where I stand, and I will continue to stand up for them, no matter what politically motivated obstacles are thrown in my way.”