I share your concern for the residents of Rehoboth Beach. They do deserve better. Where I respectfully disagree is with the premise that this is a story about mutual dysfunction or childish behavior.
For almost two years, the city has formally documented a pattern of conduct by a single commissioner that goes far beyond being “abrasive” or “persistent to a fault.” The documented record includes discriminatory language targeting religion, gender and sexual orientation in official city communications, sexually degrading language directed at city employees, public confrontation of city staff, and false accusations of corruption leveled at colleagues without factual basis.
This is not a difference of opinion. It is a documented pattern of conduct that no workplace should tolerate. Unfortunately, the tools available to address such conduct by an elected official are limited, as compared to an employer.
Commissioner Stewart did not order the FOIA request, nor did she manufacture the contents of those emails. Transparency is not a weapon. It is what voters are entitled to.
Your editorial calls for mutual respect. So do we. We have asked, formally and repeatedly, for the conduct to stop, yet those requests to Commissioner Goode have been ignored.
If a member of the Cape Gazette editorial board behaved similarly, tell me – would you overlook such behavior after multiple warnings that go unheeded?
Every commissioner and every city employee is entitled to serve and work in an environment free from the conduct repeatedly exhibited by Commissioner Goode and documented in the public record. This is not a matter of differing viewpoints, competing narratives or mere disagreement. The conduct at issue is unacceptable and should not be minimized, rationalized or excused.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
