City Employees Won’t Face Consequences for Negative Olympics Comments, Mayor’s Office Says
City employees are barred from making critical comments about the Olympics, according to an agreement Mayor Walsh signed with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) that was obtained and released by MassLive on Wednesday.
Furthermore, the document said that city workers must promote the bid, the games, and the Olympic committees “in a positive manner.’’
But Walsh spokeswoman Laura Oggeri and the USOC both said the language in the document is “boilerplate’’ for that kind of agreement.
In a statement, Oggeri said:
“Mayor Walsh is not looking to limit the free speech of his employees and, as residents of Boston, he fully supports them participating in the community process. This was standard boilerplate language for the Joinder Agreement with the USOC that all applicant cities have historically signed. The Mayor looks forward to the first citywide community meeting that will be held next week.’’
A USOC spokesman confirmed that this language is indeed typical of such agreements, adding that the restriction only applies to employees in their official capacities.
When we asked if a city employee would face consequences for making negative comments about the Olympics, Oggeri said: “Absolutely not.’’
Here’s the language in section 2.05 of the original document that stirred concern:
“The City, including its employees, officers and representatives, shall not make, publish or communicate to any Person, or communicate in any public forum, any comments or statements (written or oral) that reflect unfavorably upon, denigrate or disparage, or are detrimental to the reputation or statute of, the IOC, the IPC, the USOC, the IOC Bid, the Bid Committee or the Olympic or Paralympic movement. The City, including its employees, officers and representatives, shall each promote the Bid Committee, the USOC, the IOC Bid, U.S. Olympics and Paralympics athletes and hopefuls and the Olympic and Paralympic movement in a positive manner.’’
The document is provided in full on MassLive.
While those who oppose the Olympics coming to Boston have criticized the bidding process for the lack of public involvement and the small dissemination of information to the public, Walsh has repeatedlypromised that the process will be historically transparent.
Boston 2024 plans to release the bidding documents to the press and public on Wednesday.
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