Mayor Clark, City File Defence in Ann Mitchell Defamation Lawsuit

Legal battle continues as former city manager's separate wrongful dismissal claim also proceeds. None of these allegations have been proven in court.

Mayor Linnsie Clark has formally responded to a defamation lawsuit filed by former city manager Ann Mitchell, denying all allegations and arguing her actions were protected as part of her official duties.

Ann Mitchell - Owl News File Photo

Mitchell is suing Clark for nearly $900,000, claiming the mayor damaged her reputation and interfered with her employment contract. Mitchell was terminated as city manager in October 2025. She filed a separate wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the City of Medicine Hat for $465,000.

Read Ann Mitchell Statements of Claim

Both Clark and the city have now filed statements of defence.
These were provided to Owl News by Nicole Frey, we give her our thanks.

There are some serious new allegations that came forth in this filing -

• Abuse of Authority: A complaint alleges Mitchell abused her authority by pressuring a current Managing Director to retire.

• Improper Use of City Resources: The city's defence alleges Mitchell used resources available to her as City Manager for improper purposes, including conducting unauthorized work for a personal consulting business .

• Unauthorized Vehicle Acquisition: The city's defence claims Mitchell authorized staff to acquire a vehicle for her work-related use, contrary to an express direction that she was not entitled to one but would receive a vehicle allowance.

• Derogatory Name-Calling:Previously reported - Mitchell is accused of referring to Mayor Clark as a "cuck-a-loo," former Councillor Andy McGrogan with an F-word, and using a slang word for female anatomy to describe Councillor Shila Sharps. Mitchell has said it is "possible" she used that last term "given the pressure she was under".

Clark's Defence

Clark denies that any statements she made about Mitchell were defamatory. Her lawyers argue that comments made in her role as mayor are protected by qualified privilege and that she was acting in good faith .

The defence also argues that Clark was required by law to participate in Mitchell's annual performance evaluation, and that the August 2023 email cited in Mitchell's claim was part of that process.

Clark's legal team further argues that Mitchell's lawsuit duplicates her wrongful dismissal claim against the city and should be dismissed as an abuse of process.

Read Linnsie Clark Statement of Defence

City's Defence

The City of Medicine Hat denies wrongfully dismissing Mitchell and maintains she was terminated for just cause.

According to the city's defence, an investigation found Mitchell violated the Respectful Workplace Policy. The investigation reportedly found Mitchell made derogatory comments about Mayor Clark and other councillors, pressured a Managing Director to retire, and created a toxic work environment.

The city also claims it discovered additional misconduct after Mitchell's termination, including using city resources for a personal consulting business and improperly obtaining a work vehicle.

Mitchell was hired as Chief Administrative Officer for Lac Ste. Anne County in January 2026, approximately three months after her termination from the City of Medicine Hat.

Read City of Medicine Hat Statement of Defence

Background

The dispute between Clark and Mitchell became public in August 2023 when Clark questioned Mitchell about a reorganization during a council meeting. A third-party investigation found Clark violated the city's code of conduct by failing to treat Mitchell with "courtesy, dignity and respect" during that exchange.

Clark challenged the resulting sanctions in court. While a judge overturned most of the penalties, she upheld the finding that Clark had crossed a line.

None of the councillors who served at that time were re-elected in 2025.

Next Steps

Both lawsuits are proceeding through the Court of King's Bench in Calgary. No trial dates have been set and again, none of the allegations have been proven in court.

The Owl will be watching…

Once again, the Owl thanks Nicole Frey who provided us with the documents.