Toronto cop who helped Black officers cheat on promotional exams handed 2-year demotion

The Toronto Police Service’s first Black female superintendent has been handed a two-year demotion after helping several members of the service cheat in a 2021 promotional process.

Officer Stacy Clarke received the penalty at a police tribunal hearing in downtown Toronto after pleading guilty to seven professional misconduct charges last year. Clarke will now serve as an inspector, down one rank from her former position and will be required to reapply to the rank of superintendent after 24 months have passed.

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Speaking to CP24 following Wednesday’s hearing, Clarke said she planned to take time with her family to process the decision and formulate what needs to happen next.

“It is what it is,” Clarke said. “I’m just very disappointed, I’m very sad about it.”

Back in May, Clarke admitted as part of her testimony to the tribunal that she'd helped six Black constables who she had been mentoring gain unfair advantages on promotional exams. Her lawyers argued she acted out of despair over what she believed to be systemic mistreatment in the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and was attempting to diversify its ranks.

Former Toronto police superintendent Stacy Clarke speaks to CP24 on Wednesday, Aug. 28, after she was handed a two-year demotion for her role in a 2021 cheating scandal.

Reading her decision to the tribunal on Wednesday, hearing officer Robin McElary-Downer called the case a “challenging” one to preside over, in which “the thorny and complicated issue of racism, specifically anti-Black racism, [had] been raised.”

The hearing officer told the tribunal, however, that her job was not to review or make recommendations on anti-Black racism or promotional processes to the Toronto Police Service, but rather, to examine the case at hand.

“I'm here because a very senior-ranking officer of the Toronto Police Service admittedly led six very junior-ranking officers into a scheme of cheating,” she said. “When I take the ‘why’ out of the equation, I see [an officer] who is expected to exercise professionalism and honesty and serve with integrity, and, while I understand why Supt. Clarke did what she did, her actions were nonetheless inexcusable.”

In considering Clarke's penalty, McElary-Downer said she took into consideration the former superintendent's “stellar” record and trailblazing achievements with the service prior to the 2021. She also noted Clarke had shown remorse for her conduct, and had been in counselling since the incident.

“I have no doubt Supt. Clarke is deeply remorseful, [...] and I concur with counsel that, outside of this incident, her history reflects she is a rock star,” she said. “It is important to note, however, that superintendent Clark's behavior that gave rise to the allegations in question clearly does not represent a pattern of antisocial or oppositional conduct, but instead resulted from a unique set of circumstances, namely superintendent Clark's lived experiences as a visible minority member of the Toronto police.”

The hearing officer found that Clarke’s decision to help her mentees cheat ultimately constituted a failure to remain ethical and honest “even in the most challenging of circumstances," and fell "far below the standard expected of a police officer."

“While the underlying reasons for her misconduct help make it seem less nefarious, [Clarke] single handedly brought down these officers who showed promise as future leaders in the Toronto Police Service," McElary-Downer continued. "Her fingerprints are forever etched on their damaged careers.'

Back in May, police prosecutor Scott Hutchison sought a two-year, two-rank demotion for Clarke. The proposal would have seen Clarke dropped to the role of staff sergeant for a year, followed by a 12-month term as an inspector, before being eligible to reapply as a superintendent. Clarke’s lawyer, Joseph Markson, sought a 12 to 18 month demotion to inspector, after which he asked she be automatically be reinstated as a superintendent.

Ultimately, McElary-Downer found Clarke to be an unsuitable candidate for automatic reinstatement.

McElary-Downer said the sanction was chosen in an effort to strike a balance between fairness to Clarke, the public's expectations, and the needs of the Toronto Police.

“Confidence in the police service, and perhaps Supt. Clarke, can only be restored provided a sharp sanction is imposed, one that sends a clear message to her, other officers, and to the public that the Toronto Police Service will not stand for conduct of this nature,” she said.

Clarke has been with TPS since 1998. In July 2020, she was promoted from inspect to superintendent, making her first Black female officer to hold the ranking.

After the allegations against her were made public, Clarke was briefly suspended with pay but was reinstated in February 2022. She has been on active duty since. 

'Significant reforms' made to hiring processes, police say

In a statement released following Wednesday’s hearing, the Toronto Police Service said it respected the outcome of Clarke’s case, and that any allegations of misconduct within the service are taken seriously.

“The Toronto Police Service respects the outcome determined by the external Hearing Officer after Superintendent Stacy Clarke's guilty plea,” the statement reads. “We thank the hearing officer for her careful attention and thoughtful deliberation in this case.”

Police said the case brought forward a number of issues within the service, some of which are already being addressed. According to the statement, the service has implemented significant reforms to overhaul hiring and promotional processes and diversify its workforce in recent years. In her decision, McElary-Downer commended Toronto police for reviewing its policies following a 2019 report by Deloitte that found issues of harassment and discrimination within the workplace.

Still, Chief Myron Demkiw said more work is needed in order to build trust between officers and communities.

"We are committed, in partnership with the Toronto Police Service Board, to meaningful change and continuous improvement to create a respectful, safe, and inclusive workplace," Demkiw said in the statement. "As a service, we are listening."