# Mayor told staff to lose weight, probe finds

> South Australian mayor Lisa Ruffell denies bullying findings after independent investigation into misconduct claims.
- Title: Mayor told staff to lose weight, probe finds · Abc | Shortify
- Summary: South Australian mayor Lisa Ruffell denies bullying findings after independent investigation into misconduct claims. An independent investigation found Robe…
- Keywords: lisa ruffell, district council of robe, robe, south australia, misconduct investigation, bullying allegations, local government, news, politics, Mayor, told, staff
- Source: Abc — https://abc.net.au/news/2026-10-23/robe-mayor-misconduct-complaints-bullying/107295796
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: lisa ruffell, district council of robe, robe, south australia, misconduct investigation, bullying allegations, local government, news, politics
## Mayor under investigation
Robe mayor Lisa Ruffell, who has led the District Council of Robe since two thousand twenty-three, faced an independent investigation into bullying and misconduct allegations ordered by the council in June.
## The weight comment
Kelledy Jones Lawyers found Ms Ruffell told a staff member at a community photo shoot that they need to go back to netball and lose some weight, according to the investigation summary.

> needs to go back to netball and lose some weight
## Pattern of undermining
The investigation identified multiple instances of Ms Ruffell criticising staff in public, including telling one employee an asset could be fixed if it wasn't for your big fat salary at a meeting with state government…

> if it wasn't for your big fat salary
## Discussing staff privately
Ms Ruffell was found to have discussed council business and employee matters with community members, describing employees as lazy and saying they don't do anything, the investigation stated.
## Mayor disputes all findings
Ms Ruffell denies the investigation's findings in full, stating the report does not adequately identify evidence relied on and adverse witness material was not provided to her in full.

> the report does not adequately identify the evidence relied on
## Council votes Monday
The District Council of Robe will vote on Monday on whether to censure Ms Ruffell. She will be absent from the discussion due to conflict of interest protocols.
## Key takeaway

An independent investigation found Robe mayor Lisa Ruffell made undermining comments about staff including telling one to lose weight; she denies all findings and the council will vote Monday on whether to censure her.