The case in summary The Civil Ombudsman has criticized Tjeldsund municipality for violating teacher Marita Kvanli’s freedom of expression in connection with a Halloween joke she shared on social media. The joke consisted of a picture of a friend dressed as the councilor with a sign saying “Death to the districts”, which caused strong political reactions in the municipality. The municipality decided to obtain a legal assessment of the post to see if it could be considered harassment by the municipal director, and distanced itself from employees expressing their opinions in this way. Mayor Robin Ridderseth has stated that he takes the Ombudsman’s statement seriously, and has apologized to Kvanli. The municipality spent around NOK 40,000 on the case, money the mayor says he would like to use for other purposes. Kvanli hopes that the case will lead to a change, so that everyone can express themselves without experiencing fear of consequences. – I take the answer seriously. That’s what the mayor of Tjeldsund municipality, Robin Ridderseth, said when the municipal council last week dealt with a joke that has affected the municipality and set tempers ablaze. Recently, the Civil Ombudsman issued a harsh verdict on the municipality’s handling of teacher Marita Kvanli’s statement on social media. It was on Halloween last year that Kvanli, on his private Facebook page, shared a photo of his friend Ann Kristin Olsvik dressed as the councilman, where a sign read: “Death over the districts”. The teacher also wrote: “The scariest thing you can get on your doorstep…, the Councilor Himself. With the message “death over the districts.” Best costume of the day.” TEACHER: Marita Kvanli’s picture on Halloween in 2022 ended with a case in the chairmanship and a meeting with the management in Tjeldsund municipality. Photo: Private “The municipality infringed the employee’s freedom of expression”, says the ombudsman’s statement. – I was incredibly relieved. I have been waiting for this, says Kvanli to news, before she continues: – I think it was a great victory, because this is really a victory for freedom of expression. In this case, I have had the experience of getting a mouthful, quite simply. Now, for the first time after the Civil Ombudsman’s statement, the mayor at the time is also speaking out about the case which caused strong political reactions in the small municipality in Sør-Troms. See the full picture here: COUNCILOR: Ann Kristin Olsvik, Marita Kvanli’s friend, dressed up as the councilor in Tjeldsund municipality on Halloween last year, which Kvanli took a picture of. Photo: Marita Kvanli Distanced The picture provoked strong political reactions in the municipality, which decided in a council meeting to obtain a legal assessment of the post. This was to see if it could be considered harassment by the director of the municipality. The chairmanship also decided, without having clarified whether Kvanli could express himself in such a way, to distance himself from “employees of the municipality expressing their opinions in that way”. – I didn’t think it was right then and there, I didn’t think so, says former mayor Helene Johanne Berg Nilsen, who takes note of the ombudsman’s conclusion, in addition to apologizing for what happened. SORRY: Former Ap mayor Helene Johanne Berg Nilsen apologizes for what happened. Photo: Mathis Eira Lies flat In this week’s municipal council meeting, the newly appointed mayor emphasized that he apologizes to Kvanli, and described the matter as serious. – When you look at the Civil Ombudsman’s statement, it is a case that should not have been a case. It is a case which, according to the Civil Ombudsman, should have been stopped, says mayor Robin Ridderseth. Ridderseth himself became part of politics in Tjeldsund after the autumn elections, and was not involved in the relevant processes. SERIOUS: Mayor Robin Ridderseth describes the matter as serious, and apologizes to the teacher for the incident that took place before he became mayor. Photo: Henrik Einangshaug / news One person who, on the other hand, was active in Tjeldsund politics, and who sat on the chairmanship in question, was the Center Party’s Hugo Edgar Heimgård. From the podium in the municipal council, he was clear that the case is one of those he is least proud of having been involved in. – We have no choice but to lie flat, of course, and regret what we have been a part of through decisions. SORRY: Hugo Edgar Heimgård (Sp) himself sat on the committee that dealt with the case. From the pulpit, he made it clear what he subsequently thinks about the case. Photo: Henrik Einangshaug / news In the meeting, the mayor, on behalf of several parties, put forward a proposal that: “the municipal board calls on the municipal director, who is responsible for the municipality’s personnel policy, to contact the affected employee for a conversation about the matter and produce an apology ». Ridderseth himself has apologized personally to those affected, says Kvanli. – He has called me and Ann Kristin and apologized, I am also waiting for – as they said in the municipal council – for them to send a written apology from the administration or management. Then it remains to be seen whether we will receive a verbal apology from the chief executive, as they urged in the municipal council. NOK 40,000 Just a few hours before the municipal council was informed about the case, they met the State Administrator in a ROBEK meeting. This is as a result of the municipality being one of twelve municipalities in Norway, four of which are located in Troms and Finnmark, which are on the ROBEK register. The municipality is with it, as a result of the fact that the budget for 2023 and financial plan 2023–2026 were adopted in imbalance, subject to state control with the annual budget, borrowing and long-term lease agreements. Ridderseth stated in the meeting that the municipality spent around NOK 40,000 on the Halloween joke. Money he would like to use for other purposes. – It is easy to say in the name of hindsight. NOK 40,000 has been spent on the legal assessment and meeting with the employee. Freedom of speech Kvanli has no doubt that the case, which attracted intense interest far beyond Tjeldsund’s borders, has damaged the municipality. – I have no doubt that the case has made a change in terms of what you can comment on, or what is within the scope of commenting on. We have focused on something that, in my opinion, has been a big problem. It is that people simply do not dare to speak out, as they are afraid of consequences, says Kvanli, referring to the consequences the case had for her and her friend Ann Kristin. Now she hopes that the case will, as the municipality promises, lead to a change. – My main point in doing this is that there should be a positive change. The fact that everyone should be able to express themselves without experiencing the situation of fear that I felt, at least at the beginning, and actually the uneasiness I have felt now for a year, right up until the statement from the Civil Ombudsman came.
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Intended Halloween joke violated freedom of expression – now Tjeldsund apologizes – news Troms and Finnmark
