High-ranking Toronto cop demoted for 2 years after helping mentees cheat in promotion

The first Black woman to hold the rank of superintendent in Toronto police history was handed a temporary demotion Wednesday after admitting she helped her mentees cheat in a promotional interview process that she was involved in overseeing.

Stacy Clarke will go down one rank to inspector for two years, after which she can reapply for her previous rank, a police disciplinary tribunal hearing heard.

Hearing officer Robin McElary-Downer said that while the case appears complex at first glance – as it raised the “thorny and complicated issue” of anti-Black racism and a purportedly unfair promotional process for Black officers – her job was not to rule on either of those issues.

“Rather, 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 during the 2021 sergeant promotional process,” the hearing officer said.

Though Clarke did not personally gain from her misconduct, she violated the public’s trust, abused her power, and betrayed the six officers by drawing them into corrupt behaviour that marred their professional records, McElary-Downer said.

“There is no room in policing for noble cause corruption,” she said.

In a written statement, Toronto police said the case brought forward a number of issues that the service is addressing.

“The service has implemented significant reforms in recent years. Hiring and promotional processes were overhauled and our workforce is diversifying at all ranks,” the statement said.

Police Chief Myron Demkiw said the service acknowledges that while changes are underway, “more needs to be done to build trust with our communities and our members.”

Clarke pleaded guilty before the disciplinary tribunal last fall to seven counts under the Police Services Act, including three counts each of breach of confidence and discreditable conduct.

An agreed statement of facts heard at the time of her plea said that Clarke was sitting on promotional interview panels in 2021 when she took pictures of questions and answer rubrics and sent them to six of her mentees who were seeking promotions to sergeant.

It said she also met with one mentee who was a close family friend over three days at her home, which included conducting mock interviews, but then did not disclose a conflict of interest when she sat on that officer’s promotional interview panel.

The tribunal heard Clarke previously told the service’s professional standards unit that she decided she would help her mentees if an opportunity presented itself, in an effort to “level the playing field.”

McElary-Downer noted Clarke recognized the seriousness of her misconduct and has expressed remorse, and had an otherwise blemish-free career.