Opinion: Sheila Niezgodski’s Promotion To Vice President Raises Questions About Council Standards
- Logan Foster
- 30 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Opinion: Sheila Niezgodski’s Promotion To Vice President Raises Questions About Council Standards
By Logan Foster January 7, 2026
When the South Bend Common Council selects its vice president, it is not making a routine procedural choice. It is signaling what conduct it is willing to tolerate, what standards it enforces internally, and how seriously it takes public trust.
That is why the Council’s decision to again elevate Sheila Niezgodski to Vice President deserves scrutiny.
On May 13, 2024, immediately following a public council meeting, Niezgodski assaulted me in the Council Chambers while I was present in my capacity as a journalist exercising privilege of the floor. The incident occurred in front of police officers, council members, video cameras, and members of the public. A police report was initiated that night. Video exists. These facts are not disputed.
What remains unresolved is not semantics. It is standards.
The Council has never publicly answered the most basic leadership question arising from that night: Did this conduct meet the standard of decorum and restraint expected of a council officer?
Two sitting members of the South Bend Common Council answered that question publicly, and they answered it clearly.
Councilman Oliver Davis, one of the Council’s longest-serving members, stated that had he approached a member of the public in the same manner, he believes he would have faced censure, possible charges related to intimidation, or demands for resignation. He criticized Council leadership for addressing a public incident privately and warned that continued inaction was eroding public trust.
Councilwoman Sherry Bolden-Simpson, who witnessed the incident firsthand, issued a detailed public statement describing Niezgodski’s demeanor and actions. After reviewing the video multiple times, she concluded that Niezgodski's behavior fell short of the standard expected of a South Bend Common Council member, regardless of how any court might ultimately classify it. She also stated that the Rules Committee’s decision to deem the matter a “non-issue” was misleading.
These were not anonymous complaints or partisan attacks. They were on-the-record statements from Democratic council members addressing the conduct of a fellow Democrat.
Despite this, the South Bend Common Council did not publicly reprimand the conduct. It did not reaffirm expectations for member behavior. It did not explain how the incident factored into leadership decisions. Instead, it promoted the same official into one of its most visible leadership roles.
That decision cannot be separated from broader governance concerns.
For years, Sheila Niezgodski’s service on the Council has coincided with her family’s plumbing company receiving millions of dollars in City of South Bend contracts, even as she has chaired or served on committees with authority over public works and personnel. These arrangements may be defended as technically compliant, but leadership is not judged on legality alone. It is judged on judgment, restraint, and public confidence.
Leadership roles are not entitlements. They are endorsements.
By selecting Sheila Niezgodski as vice president again without publicly addressing documented concerns raised by eyewitnesses and colleagues, the Council has sent a clear message. Unresolved conduct is not a barrier to advancement.
Residents are entitled to ask why.
Public trust is not preserved through silence or procedural avoidance. It is preserved through transparency, accountability, and clarity about standards.
On that front, the Council has offered none.
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