An ethics commission proposal is set to hit the Newton City Council table Wednesday evening, following a scandal involving local councilor Rick Lipof who sent controversial text messages to a fellow councilor, Brenda Noel. During a council meeting on November 20, Lipof engaged in a tense exchange with Noel about her conduct during council discussions on the state's MBTA Communities Act, subsequently offering her a "foot massage" in messages that Noel deemed "inappropriate, unwanted, and unwelcome.", according to Boston.com.
Noel responded to Lipof's offer, saying he was "lecturing her," and when confronted about the nature of his texts, Lipof countered with proposals for a drink, dinner, and ultimately the foot massage remark, quickly backtracking in the messages, confessing the suggestion sounded "creepy" but it was ostensibly a gesture his wife appreciated. The ensuing back-and-forth saw Lipof attributing his behavior to "COVID fog," a justification that Noel shrugged off by blocking him on her phone, and no system was in place for formal conduct complaints. Noel sought to address the lapse in council policies regarding the investigation of council member behavior, as NBC Boston reported.
In a packet of information for a council subcommittee meeting, Noel levied her allegations against Lipof and requested the establishment of an ethics commission or committee that could handle such incidents. The city's human resources department and city clerk informed Noel that employee conduct policies did not cover members of the city council. Noel disclosed a letter in which she implored the council to establish professional standards better aligned with expectations found in other workplaces.
As the situation unfolded, Lipof, taking ownership of the messages, extended an apology to the council and the public, stating in a letter, "I feel terrible that my texts made my colleague feel uncomfortable and for that I have apologized," as stated in Boston.Com. Acknowledging that while comfortable relationships often form amongst colleagues, the exchange was misjudged considering the professional setting; Lipof also voiced his support for Noel's call to review the council's code of conduct, reflecting a willingness to confront the structural gaps that allowed for such behavior in the first place, Lipof's remorse and alignment with Noel's push for ethical oversight suggesting a readiness on his part to move forward from the fiasco with a newfound respect for the boundaries between personal and professional exchanges.
