Ontario’s “Strong Mayor” should take note that with greater power comes greater scruity of their behaviour.
In a 55-page report regarding the misbehaviour of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal, Integrity Commissioner Guy Giorno has adopted Supreme Court of Canada precedent regarding bullying in the workplace and applied it to the power dynamics between strong mayors and individual councillors.
- The Supreme Court of Canada has also acknowledged that bullying traditionally involves a power imbalance between bully and victim. (Cyberbullying and other anonymous forms of bullying are exceptions.) Several courts and tribunals agree that bullying exploits a power dynamic.
- The incident in the corridor occurred in the context of a power imbalance that is a hallmark of bullying. The Mayor is more powerful than a Councillor. In a strictly legal sense, this has been the case since October 31, 2023, when Ontario Regulation 331/23 added Peterborough to the list of municipalities subject to “strong mayor powers.” The Mayor’s powers include the direct appointment of the chairs and vice-chairs of committees.
In short, strong mayors need to be careful about the line between politics and bullying.
More about the situation in Peterborough below, where this is just the latest scandal for Jeff Leal.
Ontario’s most embattled mayor is now Peterborough’s Jeff Leal, and the trouble is of his own making.
Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal faces mounting pressure after last week’s City Council committee 7-3 vote to reject issuing any penalty against the mayor following an Integrity Commissioner’s finding he bullied and intimidated two councillors.
A resident rally is planned before this evening’s (June 9) City Council ratification meeting.
This isn’t the first protest against Leal’s conduct—a protest was held on April 28 calling for his resignation after he used the n-word when referring to U.S. President Lyndon Johnson during a March 19 talk to a Trent University business class. He apologised.
Two weeks ago, Integrity Commissioner Guy Giorno issued his 55-page report. Following the report, Leal issued a half-hearted written apology.
The Intimidation Incident at the April 2, 2024 Council Meeting
During a heated debate over a $2-million plan to replace baseball diamonds with 16 pickleball courts at Bonnerworth Park, Councillor Alex Bierk mentioned the mayor’s wife’s involvement in pickleball: “I’m not against pickleball. Karan Leal is going to lend me her racquet [paddle].”
Mayor Leal erupted: “Don’t mention my wife’s name.” After Bierk apologised multiple times, Leal threatened: “You’re going to regret you ever said that” and “I’ll carve you like a Thanksgiving turkey.” Giorno found these comments constituted intimidation despite being figurative rather than literal threats.
Post-Meeting Bullying of Lachica
Following the meeting, Leal confronted Councillor Lachica in a corridor, angrily blaming her for not controlling a disruptive audience member—despite gallery control being the meeting chair’s responsibility.
During a closed session meeting six days later, Leal doubled down and continued to bully Lachica. When he sarcastically suggested she should have heard the April 2 gallery disruption, Lachica was forced to reveal her medical hearing impairment.
Lack of Remorse
Giorno determined Leal has shown a lack of understanding of his actions, and continues to deflect blame. He found Leal’s subsequent public apology inadequate—it downplayed the threats as mere “intemperate language” and wrongly blamed the victims.
Precedent on Mayoral Power
Significantly, Giorno referenced the Supreme Court of Canada in A.B. v. Bragg Communications Inc. (note 91, para. 22) that “bullying traditionally involves a power imbalance between bully and victim.” Ontario’s “strong mayor powers” create a power dynamic and imbalance between mayors and council members.
Mayors across Ontario should take note.