Mayor Rob Ford showed up to a high school football practice inebriated, threatened to fight a teacher and forced his players to “roll in goose scat” in the months leading up to his dismissal as a volunteer coach at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, according to internal documents.
The 382 pages of documents were released to the media after the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario ruled that the school board must disclose the information under the Freedom of Information Act.
The allegations were largely made by former Principal Ugo Rossi and teacher John Royiwsky, who were asked by the board to compile a list of “critical incidents involving Rob Ford” in the wake of a controversial interview he gave to Sun News in which he claimed that many of his players “come from gangs” and that football was the one “carrot” that got them to attend classes.
In one of the incidents alleged by Rossi, Ford showed up “visibly inebriated” to the final practice before the Metro Bowl on November, 26, 2012, hours after a judge ordered that he be removed from office for violating the Municipal Conflict-of-Interest Act. Rossi said Ford was then noticeably “incoherent” as he pushed other coaches and school officials to have players sequestered in his city hall office in the lead up to the big game the following day.
In another alleged incident on Aug. 28, 2012, Rossi said Ford scheduled a summer practice in contravention of rules set by the provincial athletic association and then challenged Royiwsky to a fight after the teacher posted a memo on the locker room door to inform players that “there would be no practices.”
“The mayor was very heated and swearing at and challenging Mr. Royiwsky to a fight,” Rossi said in comments paraphrased by the board. “He kept repeating ‘I will kick your ass, F you, you’re a p***y. I run this program not you.’ I pulled John away and asked the mayor to leave the area.”
One of the more astonishing allegations made against Ford concerns a practice game in October, 2012 after which the mayor made the players “roll in goose scat” and called them “c***suckers,” according to Rossi.
A report in the Toronto Star, however, quoted a former Don Bosco kicker as saying that Ford gave the players the option of leaving and did not use any profane language.
“He told us if you don’t want to do it you could leave,” Sergio Meza told the paper.
Some of the other allegations made against Ford in the documents include “disregarding” requests for a criminal record check, making “derogatory statements” about the school’s athletic director and refusing to pay for 25 football helmets he had previously agreed to foot the bill for.
In a written statement issued Thursday morning the TCDSB refused to comment on the allegations, other than to say they are a “factual” representation of board communications.
“Since the Mayor’s departure over 16 months ago, the football team has gone on to win an Ontario Championship and the total number of players has increased by 30 percent from 35 to 46 players. We again, thank Mr. Ford for his contributions and consider this matter closed,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, at city hall councillors reacted to the news with disappointment.
"That’s disturbing stuff and sad," Ward 22 Coun. Josh Matlow told CP24.
Ford was dismissed from his role at Don Bosco and banned from coaching at any other TCDSB school at the height of his crack cocaine scandal in May, 2013.
Ford has not yet responded to the allegations contained in the documents, but his councillor brother Doug called them “fictitious rumours” while speaking with reporters Thursday morning.
“There is no politician in this entire country that has put more money, more effort and more time into youth than Rob Ford has,” he said. “You should talk to the youth and ask them their opinion.”
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