Whitey Ford
05-09-2024, 09:47 PM
Toronto cop felt 'invisible' advocating for Black mentees, disciplinary hearing hears
Defence argues Supt. Stacy Clarke was desperate to level playing field for Black candidates
https://i.ibb.co/gmFCCBM/stacy-clarke-1-e1642821654396.webp
A Toronto police officer acted out of desperation to counteract anti-Black systemic racism when she gave confidential information to six Black constables ahead of promotional job interviews in 2021, defence said at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
Supt. Stacy Clarke carried "crushing burdens" after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 and subsequent global Black Lives Matter protests, defence lawyer Joseph Markson said during closing statements.
"You have a collapse in good judgment. You have someone going down on their knees under the stress of all of that, the whole of that cross," Markson said.
"The things we do on our knees may be different to when we're standing," he added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6BCMx3EZY
Clarke is the first Black female officer to reach the rank of superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. She was presented as the "Black female face" of the Toronto police, Markson said, referring to media coverage from summer 2020.
Clarke was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada at age 10. The Jamaican Canadian Association has been bussing her supporters to watch disciplinary proceedings this week at Toronto police headquarters.
Clarke said her "tipping point" took place when she attempted to advocate for her mentees in a meeting with her colleagues in November 2021.
"I was invisible," she recalled. "I was not supposed to be advocating, not for Black members… I was beside myself."
Later that same day, she took a photograph of the questions and answers for the first time, sending them to a mentee who would be interviewed that afternoon.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/superintendent-stacy-clarke-closing-statements-1.7199066
Defence argues Supt. Stacy Clarke was desperate to level playing field for Black candidates
https://i.ibb.co/gmFCCBM/stacy-clarke-1-e1642821654396.webp
A Toronto police officer acted out of desperation to counteract anti-Black systemic racism when she gave confidential information to six Black constables ahead of promotional job interviews in 2021, defence said at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday.
Supt. Stacy Clarke carried "crushing burdens" after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 and subsequent global Black Lives Matter protests, defence lawyer Joseph Markson said during closing statements.
"You have a collapse in good judgment. You have someone going down on their knees under the stress of all of that, the whole of that cross," Markson said.
"The things we do on our knees may be different to when we're standing," he added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6BCMx3EZY
Clarke is the first Black female officer to reach the rank of superintendent at the Toronto Police Service. She was presented as the "Black female face" of the Toronto police, Markson said, referring to media coverage from summer 2020.
Clarke was born in Jamaica and moved to Canada at age 10. The Jamaican Canadian Association has been bussing her supporters to watch disciplinary proceedings this week at Toronto police headquarters.
Clarke said her "tipping point" took place when she attempted to advocate for her mentees in a meeting with her colleagues in November 2021.
"I was invisible," she recalled. "I was not supposed to be advocating, not for Black members… I was beside myself."
Later that same day, she took a photograph of the questions and answers for the first time, sending them to a mentee who would be interviewed that afternoon.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/superintendent-stacy-clarke-closing-statements-1.7199066