The City of Ottawa has confirmed that the man accused of vandalizing the National Holocaust Memorial with red paint earlier this month has been fired.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, interim city solicitor Stuart Huxley confirmed that Iain Aspenlieder no longer works for the city and that he was on leave at the time of the incident.
“The recent act affecting the National Holocaust monument was deplorable and is counter to the values we seek to uphold in our community. We extend our deepest sympathies to members of our community impacted by this disgraceful act,” Huxley wrote in an emailed statement to the Citizen.
“The City can confirm that the individual implicated in this act was on leave at the time of the incident and is no longer employed by the City. As the matter is the subject of a police investigation and is before the courts, the City will provide no further comment.”
Aspenlieder
has been charged with mischief to a war monument, mischief exceeding $5,000 and harassment by threatening conduct in relation to the incident.
The monument, located at 1918 Chaudière Crossing, was sprayed with the words “FEED ME” in large block letters on the side adjacent to Wellington Street on June 9. Red paint was also sprayed along the building’s facade.
Aspenlieder is
scheduled to appear in court on July 2 for a bail hearing decision following an appearance on Saturday.
He was also suspended administratively by the Law Society of Ontario. An administrative suspension means a lawyer has been suspended for administrative reasons, such as failing to pay fees or filing forms on time. A suspended lawyer cannot practice law or provide legal services, the law society said.
The monument was opened in 2017 and commemorates the extermination of six million Jews who were killed in the Second World War.
The Ottawa police hate and bias crime unit has been leading the investigation into the vandalism.
