Uproar after councillor retains his job regardless of pleading responsible to sexual touching
Residents of a small country town are calling for a councillor to be booted from his role after he admitted to sexually touching two men without consent.
However, Weddin Shire Council, whose major town is Grenfell in Central West NSW, has claimed there is nothing it can do to remove Chadwick Lucas White, 43, from his position.
White pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual touching and one count of common assault at Young Local Court in December, following his arrest in January 2025.
He was accused of sexually touching two men at a pub in Grenfell in December 2024.
White was handed a conditional release order for 12 months and no conviction was recorded.
The order means White cannot commit any other offence until it expires in December and must appear before court if called upon during that time.
Between his arrest and sentencing, the council said the accusations against White hadn’t ‘reached the threshold’ to justify his removal.
In a statement written by general manager Matthew Sykes, the council said it wouldn’t remove White even after he admitted to the sexual crimes.
Chadwick Lucas White (above) pleaded guilty to sexually touching two men at a pub in Grenfell, Central West NSW
Community members called for White (above) to be removed from Weddin Shire Council
It said White’s crimes were ‘unrelated’ to Weddin Shire Council and none of the victims were ‘council officials’.
The statement also explained the council couldn’t remove White as his actions hadn’t brought it into ‘disrepute’.
Community members Michelle Cook and Carolyn Shaw-Phillips strongly disagreed with the council’s view, News.com.au reported.
‘The community is very upset about the outcome of the case,’ Ms Cook said.
‘How can someone who pleads guilty to charges of a sexual nature against young people in our community, still be held in esteem as an elected member?’
Ms Shaw-Phillips added: ‘How is this … not an issue of disrepute? No conviction recorded does not mean that the actions never occurred.’
Daily Mail has contacted Weddin Shire Council and White for comment.
