Is your privilege to speak at council meetings about to be stifled? The failure of Shorewood mayor Labadie and City Administrator Nevinski to follow city protocol, may affect ALL residents of Shorewood who want or need to participate in city council meetings via Zoom.
During the Jan. 26, 2026 council meeting three separate Zoom Bombers spoke, one right after each other, using increasingly vulgar and threatening language. These cowardly participants did not show their faces which violated the city’s first rule for Zoom calls. Red flags were screaming, but the mayor (who holds the gavel) and the city administrator (who runs the equipment) failed to put an immediate end to the vulgarity, adding to the negative impact and damage. Residents attending the council meeting in person were appalled by the inaction.
This Zoom free-for-all is in stark contrast to the in-person speakers and audience who are warned against applause, scolded for whispering during the meeting and held to a tight time frame when speaking.
After a 2024 council meeting incident, rules were put in place to ensure that intruders, aka Zoom Bombers, would not be able address the city council without:
- “The participant must be on camera and be able to be seen and heard by the city council.”
- “Consistent with FCC rules, obscenity, and profane or indecent language will not be tolerated by the presiding officer.”
Will there be a recommendation to amend the rules to disallow participation via Zoom? Shorewood residents should not lose their access to this communication method due to a preventable process failure by city officials. The mayor and staff should own up to their failures. A refresher course on Zoom meeting management should take place before anyone considers silencing citizen voices.
General news about the city council
More reading:
Shorewood Guidelines for Zoom & Remote Meetings
Zoom Bombing a Council Meeting SCA, 2024
Zoom’s Recommendation to Prevent Uninvited Participants
How Shorewood’s City Council Limits Zoom Access, SCA 2024
Disruption: Zoom Bombing a Virtual Meeting
Under the Open Meeting Law, [city council meetings] are not platforms for unfettered public expression.
Let city leaders know what you think.
- Best option: attend and /or speak up at City Council meetings and get it on the public record.
- Contact City Council Members
Dustin Maddy (612) 293-6727 dmaddy@shorewoodmn.gov
Jennifer Labadie (952) 836-8719 jlabadie@shorewoodmn.gov
Michelle DiGruttolo (517) 422-9528 mdigruttolo@shorewoodmn.gov
Guy Sanschagrin (952) 217-1289 gsanschagrin@shorewoodmn.gov
Nat Gorham (617) 780-7771 ngorham@shorewoodmn.gov
