Rice issued a statement Friday afternoon that said he recognized the importance of taking time to deal with those issues.
“Some people who know me know of my personal struggles and have been very kind to me and I want to say thank you to those people,” he said.
The leave of absence was effective immediately. The Guardian asked whether Rice is on leave with or without pay, but did not receive a response from the city by the end of day Friday.
In his statement, Rice said he wanted his constituents to know he trusts the other councillors to address any of their concerns or issues until he and his doctor feel he is able to return to work.
Rice said he would communicate with Mayor Clifford Lee to advise when he would be returning to city hall.
“I ask that my privacy be respected while I am off on leave,” he said.
His leave absence came one week after Holland College issued a statement saying Rice was involved in an altercation in July with an employee at the school.
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College issues reasons for Eddie Rice stay-away order
That statement said Rice used profane and threatening language, restrained the employee by holding her arm, and touched her several times without her permission.
Rice was issued a stay-away order that prohibits him from being on the Prince of Wales campus, but no criminal charges were laid.
He has previously declined to comment on the incident and a call to him Friday was not returned.
Since the school released that statement, someone started an online petition asking council to remove Rice from his position.
As of Friday afternoon the petition had more than 200 signatures.
The Guardian asked Mayor Clifford Lee about the petition, but he said he couldn’t comment because he is a Holland College employee.
Lee referred media inquiries to Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy who issued a statement that said the city was aware of the petition and the allegations against Rice.
Duffy said there is no legislation that allows council to dismiss a councillor unless they are found guilty of an indictable offence.
He also said the matter is under review in relation to the city’s code of conduct.
The code of conduct gives the mayor or deputy mayor the ability to impose sanctions on a councillor who violates it.
Those sanctions include a written reprimand, removal from membership on committees and suspension from representing the city for a period of time.
