Toronto councillor Michael Thompson charged with sexual assault

The alleged victims are both adult women, Barry said in a later email, adding the incident happened in Muskoka in July. Thompson’s court date is set for Nov. 1 at the courthouse in Bracebridge.

Thompson, who remains a city councillor, is seeking re-election in Ward 21 Scarborough Centre.

Barry said Thompson is “pleading not guilty and will vigorously defend against these allegations and he is asserting his innocence and we will be co-operating with the authorities to hopefully have him exonerated in the near future.”

Thompson has resigned his chairmanship of council’s economic and community development committee. He remains a city councillor. The role of deputy mayor is largely ceremonial.

Thompson could not be immediately reached for comment. His cellphone voicemail was full and not taking more messages. Messages left at his office and voicemail have not been returned Thursday evening.

A man who answered the phone at Thompson’s re-election office said campaign officials were busy putting up election signs and could not be reached for comment.

As of Thursday evening, the OPP had not released any information. The Star was unable to contact the women who made the complaints, or find a representative for them.

Thompson has long been a close council ally of Tory. His most recent public appearance was Wednesday morning when, with Tory, he helped unveil a new wrap design for the TORONTO sign in Nathan Phillips Square.

Tory’s office said the mayor learned of the charges Thursday from his staff after a media inquiry, and Thompson later called him. Last year, Thompson told the Star he would have considered running for mayor himself if Tory was not seeking a third term.

In a statement, Tory said: “I take sexual assault allegations and charges against any individual very seriously.

“While the councillor is facing these charges, it would not be appropriate for him to continue serving as a deputy mayor or chair of a standing council committee. He has agreed and will be resigning those positions effective immediately.

“As this makes its way through the courts, I will not be making further comment.”

Thompson was first elected in 2003, in the former Scarborough Centre ward. Then aged 43, he was, and remains, the only Black member of city council. He has been re-elected four times.

Thompson has been a staunch advocate of the city’s anti-Black racism efforts. He has championed anti-bias training for city officials and in 2015 urged Mayor John Tory to call for an end of carding , that is, random police stops of people to collect identification and information. Critics say the practice targeted primarily young Black men and stigmatized their communities.

The veteran councillor has long travelled the world as council’s chief economic development booster, trying to lure foreign investment to Toronto.

In 2018, Thompson was scolded by the then-integrity commissioner for “going to bat” for a longtime developer friend Albert Gasparro during Gasparro’s dealings with the city over a building project in another part of the city.

At the time Thompson flatly denied any wrongdoing. City council imposed no punishment on him.