LEADERSHIP AND SCANDAL IN JOHN TORY’S TORONTO
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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SYNOPSIS
On February 10, 2023, Toronto mayor John Tory stunned the city by holding an evening press conference to
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announce his resignation. His statement came on the heels of an investigative report published by the Toronto
Star that revealed an extramarital relationship between Tory, 68, and a 31-year-old staff member in his office.
Tory admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a junior staff member. While Toronto city council
scrambled to deal with the fallout of Tory’s abrupt announcement, public opinion about it was deeply divided.
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From politicians to pundits to the general public, it seemed everyone had something to say about Tory stepping
down as mayor and the reason why he did so. In the absence of clear rules and regulations, what should Tory
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have done? Was his resignation, as some said, too hasty? Or was he correct to step down?
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OBJECTIVES
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• To reinforce the notion that performance is always a function of competencies, character, and commitment
to the role of leadership; and to illustrate the consequences of compromised judgment, as part of character.
• To illustrate that inappropriate behaviour and behaviour that is against the rules are two different things: the
first generally speaks to judgment, whereas behaviour that is against the rules often involves sanctions, as
those rules codify to government officials and the public what is expected from people in public office.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
,ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. Was Tory’s resignation, as some observers said, too hasty? Or was he correct to step down the way he
did? The relationship with the staffer was inappropriate but certainly not illegal or a matter of immediate
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public interest.
2. Was the Tory affair an ethics or morality issue, an abuse of power issue, or both?
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3. Would your answers have been different before the #MeToo movement, which highlighted the
requirement for leadership clarity in matters of power and influence? Why or why not?
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4. How should workplace relationships be approached?
5. What were your learnings as they pertained to deep personal leadership embedded in the case?
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tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
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pl
ANALYSIS
open the discussion by presenting the results of the first polling question. Was the
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relationship a personal issue? The relationship was a consensual relationship. Why was the relationship—
other than the age difference, Tory’s marital status, and the complex question of consent—made into such
Sa
a big deal? Several specific questions can be pursued.
Personal, consensual relationships in the office were not prohibited. So, what was the concern then?
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The integrity commissioner at the City of Toronto, Jonathan Batty, appeared sympathetic to the many
pressures that Tory faced when the affair started, noting that he was managing an unprecedented situation
tio
early in the pandemic. The report described a relationship that began as emotional support. However, as Batty
reported: “This was not simply a personal matter … Relationships between a person in authority and someone
who works for them need to be managed according to the City’s human resources policies which are
lu
incorporated into the Code of Conduct.”2 In short, personal and consensual relationships were not prohibited
but should have been disclosed. Tory failed to do that—he did not seek advice about how to manage a
So
consensual relationship with someone in his office; create a safe work environment, as required by city policy;
and document the measures being taken to address any subsequent problems in the workplace.
The question can be posed—but so what? Did the relationship between Tory and the staffer have anything
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
m
SYNOPSIS
On February 10, 2023, Toronto mayor John Tory stunned the city by holding an evening press conference to
Sa
announce his resignation. His statement came on the heels of an investigative report published by the Toronto
Star that revealed an extramarital relationship between Tory, 68, and a 31-year-old staff member in his office.
Tory admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with a junior staff member. While Toronto city council
scrambled to deal with the fallout of Tory’s abrupt announcement, public opinion about it was deeply divided.
n
From politicians to pundits to the general public, it seemed everyone had something to say about Tory stepping
down as mayor and the reason why he did so. In the absence of clear rules and regulations, what should Tory
tio
have done? Was his resignation, as some said, too hasty? Or was he correct to step down?
lu
OBJECTIVES
So
• To reinforce the notion that performance is always a function of competencies, character, and commitment
to the role of leadership; and to illustrate the consequences of compromised judgment, as part of character.
• To illustrate that inappropriate behaviour and behaviour that is against the rules are two different things: the
first generally speaks to judgment, whereas behaviour that is against the rules often involves sanctions, as
those rules codify to government officials and the public what is expected from people in public office.
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
,ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. Was Tory’s resignation, as some observers said, too hasty? Or was he correct to step down the way he
did? The relationship with the staffer was inappropriate but certainly not illegal or a matter of immediate
e
public interest.
2. Was the Tory affair an ethics or morality issue, an abuse of power issue, or both?
pl
3. Would your answers have been different before the #MeToo movement, which highlighted the
requirement for leadership clarity in matters of power and influence? Why or why not?
m
4. How should workplace relationships be approached?
5. What were your learnings as they pertained to deep personal leadership embedded in the case?
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
, e
pl
ANALYSIS
open the discussion by presenting the results of the first polling question. Was the
m
relationship a personal issue? The relationship was a consensual relationship. Why was the relationship—
other than the age difference, Tory’s marital status, and the complex question of consent—made into such
Sa
a big deal? Several specific questions can be pursued.
Personal, consensual relationships in the office were not prohibited. So, what was the concern then?
n
The integrity commissioner at the City of Toronto, Jonathan Batty, appeared sympathetic to the many
pressures that Tory faced when the affair started, noting that he was managing an unprecedented situation
tio
early in the pandemic. The report described a relationship that began as emotional support. However, as Batty
reported: “This was not simply a personal matter … Relationships between a person in authority and someone
who works for them need to be managed according to the City’s human resources policies which are
lu
incorporated into the Code of Conduct.”2 In short, personal and consensual relationships were not prohibited
but should have been disclosed. Tory failed to do that—he did not seek advice about how to manage a
So
consensual relationship with someone in his office; create a safe work environment, as required by city policy;
and document the measures being taken to address any subsequent problems in the workplace.
The question can be posed—but so what? Did the relationship between Tory and the staffer have anything
The Case Solution Starts From page 4
