The Press Council has upheld a complaint from Warren Davidson against a front-page article headlined "Report clears council of abuse" published in the Wairarapa Times-Age on March 2.
The article was accompanied by a large photo with Mr Davidson in the foreground. Mr Davidson, a former Tararua District councillor, quit his position last year after what the newspapers described as "bullying and unacceptable behaviour" by the mayor and council's CEO.
His resignation sparked a Local Government New Zealand review of the council's governance processes, which were found to be fit for purpose and consistent with well-performing rural councils. Some recommendations, however, were made.
Significantly, the review did not look at whether Mr Davidson's reasons for his resignation were accurate or not.
Mr Davidson says the headline is inaccurate because the LGNZ report did not cover the allegations, rather it only looked at process. The story was also unfair because he was not aware the "angle" was to be that the council was cleared and so was not given proper opportunity to comment. His viewpoint was taken out of context, he said.
