Image: Sts'ailes First Nation / Former Sts'ailes Chief Ralph Leon Jr. has been removed by Sts'ailes after evidence of serious misconduct emerged, including matters pertaining to his unauthorized or unverified spending, pay advances, excessive technology purchases, and failure to attend what council considered critical meetings. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Chief removed

Agassiz-area First Nation removes chief for ‘serious misconduct’

Sep 3, 2024 | 10:01 AM

STS’AILES (AGASSIZ) — A First Nation band west of Agassiz has removed its chief after evidence of serious misconduct emerging, prompting band council members to take immediate action last week.

According to a statement from Sts’ailes First Nation, council members at Sts’ailes were advised in early August that Chief Ralph Leon Jr. had engaged in multiple acts of misconduct, including matters pertaining to his unauthorized or unverified spending, pay advances, excessive technology purchases, and failure to attend what council considered critical meetings. On August 2, 2024, Council provided Chief Leon with a letter detailing the allegations against him and instituted temporary safeguards on his abilities until the misconduct allegations had been thoroughly investigated.

Sts’ailes says Council met in-camera, in a closed session, on Wednesday, August 27 to discuss and address concerns involving the misconduct allegations as mentioned in the letter. After Chief Leon was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations leveled against him, Council determined that the allegations against him were founded and that he had committed serious offences.

Once the meeting was held August 27, Council further learned that Chief Leon had contravened the temporary safeguards instituted against him that were put in place to protect Sts’ailes membership. As a result, Council unanimously passed a resolution on Friday, August 30 to remove Chief Leon from office effective immediately, pursuant to section 20.0(d) of the Sts’ailes Custom Election Code.

“As Sts’ailes Leadership, the Chief and Council all swore an Oath to Office and made commitments to you, the people, to lead Sts’ailes through good governance,” Sts’ailes Council wrote in a statement. “Good governance includes being accountable for our spending and in representing Sts’ailes at Federal, Provincial and Municipal government meetings and to advocate for economic development initiatives or in partnership opportunities. Unfortunately, as a result of the Chief’s Misconduct, response to the Misconduct, and his breach of the safeguards, the Chief broke this commitment, and Council believes that he failed to act in accordance with his fiduciary duties to the membership.”

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Council wrote in its statement that the decision to oust Chief Leon was necessary to preserve the integrity of the band. Council says it will circulate a secondary memo to membership about the next course of action in due time.