'It was my tipping point:' Clarke says Toronto police rejection of Black promotions prompted her misconduct
The first Black female superintendent at the Toronto Police Service says the rejection of her advocacy for promoting Black officers made her feel “invisible” and ultimately contributed to her decision to break the rules in their favour.
In cross-examination before a Toronto Police disciplinary tribunal, Supt. Stacy Clarke repeated her apology for sending exam questions to Black constables in advance.
But in her testimony she also described an environment where Black officers were disadvantaged and a new hiring process that could have made hiring more fair was suddenly cancelled.
“I don’t know how to explain it to you because you may not understand these types of feelings,” she said under cross-examination from TPS lawyer Scott Hutchison. “I was invisible. I was not supposed to be advocating. Not for Black members…. It was my tipping point.”
Clarke said it was after a meeting with senior staff at the TPS that she decided to send questions to help promising Black constables through the promotions system – something she testified she knew was wrong but did anyway in the hopes it would level the playing field.
“This isn’t looking like a level playing field to other officers who didn’t get the answers beforehand,” said Hutchison.
“I don’t know what other officers received,” Clarke replied.
“Are you suggesting that there are other officers involved in cheating, the way you were?” Hutchison asked.
“I’m suggesting the process is unfair,” Clarke said.
Clarke's lawyer has suggested that some other officers did get a leg up from largely white senior staff, as rumours of others sharing questions were widespread.
Former Mayor John Tory also raised concerns about the low promotion rates for Black officers during a Toronto Police Service board meeting in 2021.
“There may be ways in which we have structured the process of exam and interview that disadvantage some groups,” Tory said at the time.
The tribunal has heard the TPS Board did approve a new process that would supply questions to everyone, but the process was cancelled by the TPS. It’s not clear exactly why; the TPS has said it will not answer questions about why until Clarke’s hearing is over.
“The situation that Stacy Clarke is charged with is an open secret in the community… The questions were shared only among white candidates,” said Kingsley Gilliam of the Black Action Defense Committee outside the hearing. “At the end of the day, the same thing comes down. What they did, is selectively implement what they want and what they don’t want, and the hiring system – they didn’t change it,”
The TPS has said it will not fire Clarke but is seeking to demote her two ranks. She would be reinstated after a year as an inspector and then would have to work her way back to superintendent.
Clarke’s lawyer Joseph Markson, meanwhile, has agreed to a demotion but says Clarke should be reinstated as superintendent after a year.
On Thursday, Clarkson said that the TPS discipline tribunal has never seen a case like Clarke’s and called on it to take Clarke’s subjective experience seriously as a mitigating factor in deciding punishment.
“It’s painful to realize your advocacy for them is dead in the water. Moot. Nonexistent,” Markson said. “No question that perception she formed was real. And it was the tip of an iceberg of pain that came crashing down on her at this time.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
The push to Parliament's summer hiatus is about to begin, here's what you need to know
When MPs file back in to the House of Commons on Tuesday, it will be for the final five-week parliamentary push before hitting the barbecue circuit. Looking ahead to what could be a raucous rush to the summer hiatus, CTVNews.ca spoke with top House representatives to get a sense of what's atop their priority list.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war.
Red Lobster seeks bankruptcy protection with US$100 million in financing commitments
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
Your kids' ultraprocessed food consumption may put them at higher risk, study shows
The ultraprocessed foods your kids eat now may be putting them at greater risk for cardiometabolic problems – like heart attack, stroke and diabetes – in adulthood, a new study suggests.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.