Unwise virulent comments

The Herald reports:

A leading developer and land aggregator behind some of New Zealand’s biggest housing projects has launched a $2.5 million lawsuit over claims a senior council official “intentionally and maliciously” defamed him in official communications.

Defamation proceedings have been started by businessman Garry Robertsonagainst the Kaikōura District Council and senior manager of operations David Clibbery. …

In the emails, Clibbery variously calls Robertson a racist, selfish, arrogant, “complete prick”, and “consummate taker who gives nothing back”.

I’m shocked that a (local) government official would write things like this. Putting aside any defamation, it is incredibly unprofessional.

In the next email the following day, Clibbery goes further, which the statement of claim says are “defamatory and untrue statements”.

“In my view, he is prime example of what extreme wealth can turn a person into; arrogant, entitled, self-righteous, selfish, racist, hypocritical, over-confident in their abilities and to a significant degree detached from normal society, but either unable or unwilling to recognise this.”

Clibbery’s claims that Robertson is a “consummate taker” whose objective is to “drive Kaikōura property prices higher without any regard for the broader social consequences”, are defamatory, the court action alleges.

“I truly believe that Mr Robertson is a blight to this community, who we would be best without,” Clibbery ends his email with.

Is this how council officials talk about us behind our backs? Did his CEO reprimand him (or worse) for such unprofessional behaviour?