ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Rochester City Council voted 4-1 to censure Council member Molly Dennis for “unwillingness to respect personal boundaries along with persistent verbal intimidation toward staff and elected officials.” Dennis voted against the censure. One Council member abstained. Why the censure? The resolution cited intimidating physical behavior during Council debates, a pattern of inflammatory allegations toward colleagues, and threatening and manipulative behavior. Dennis said she blindsided at being censured. She responded that she is neurodivergent and doesn’t always speak in the way her colleagues do.
Clinical term
“Neurodivergent” is a broad term for differences in how an affected person’s brain works. These differences include medical disorders, learning disabilities and other conditions. Among these conditions, with differing severities: Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia, dyscalculia, epilepsy, hyperlexia, dyspraxia, attention-deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
Dennis. Remains on Council but on notice that she has disapproval from a Council majority.