Questions mount around TTC head's future after closed-door board meeting

The ramifications of a confidential TTC board meeting late last week are continuing to be felt in Toronto, with questions swirling around the future of CEO Rick Leary.

City officials have thus far not commented publicly on the issue, except to say a closed-door meeting of the TTC board was called last Friday to discuss an internal personnel matter that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

"I am not interested in breaking client and solicitor privilege," Mayor Olivia Chow said Tuesday when asked about the situation.

"When the board and the chair together feel that they are ready to tell us collectively what decisions are made, I am sure they will do so."

A Toronto Star story published Tuesday, however, cited unnamed sources who said the TTC board agreed at the meeting to investigate allegations of workplace misconduct against Leary, but he remains on the job pending the probe's conclusion. CBC News has not independently verified those claims.

Leary, who has been CEO for five years, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When asked about the situation in an email, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green simply said, "Don't know anything about it."

After Friday's meeting, TTC board chair Coun. Jamaal Myers would only say that the board met to "discuss an internal matter that is subject to solicitor-client privilege," and that Leary is still the CEO of the transit agency.

"Rick Leary is the CEO of the TTC. He's on the job," Myers said, adding that he believed Leary missed the meeting because he was on vacation.

"What I can say is we're committed to serving Torontonians as we always are," Myers said.

WATCH | Breaking down allegations against TTC CEORick Leary:

What's happening with TTC CEO Rick Leary?

10 months ago

Duration 5:33

Questions are swirling at city hall about the head of the city's transit system after a closed-door meeting last week. CBC Toronto at 6 host Dwight Drummond spoke to Municipal Affairs Reporter Shawn Jeffords to break down the allegations and what councillors are saying.

Board chair says he has faith in TTC leadership

Reporters repeatedly asked Myers if he has faith in Leary to run the TTC, to which the chair stated more than once that he has faith in the agency's leadership, board and employees.

When pressed a third time about Leary specifically, Myers said, "I have confidence in Rick Leary, yes. Do I have confidence that he can lead the organization? Yes."

When Chow was first asked about the closed-door board meeting last Friday, the mayor said she had "no idea" about what had happened there and similarly didn't know why people were asking if she wanted a change in leadership at the TTC.

"No, where did that come from?" Chow said.

Balancing confidential matters and transparency

In an interview with CBC News, Coun. Brad Bradford called that response "concerning."

"When you're having those types of conversations about the future of leadership at one of North America's largest transit agencies, to have no idea or seemingly no idea about what's going on there is very concerning," he said.

"It appears the TTC chair, perhaps the mayor's office, they're offside with TTC leadership."

Bradford also said the board and the TTC have to be clearabout the situation considering it seemingly deals with one of the city's highest-paid bureaucrats. Leary's salary was over $470,000 plus benefits in 2022, according to public sector salary disclosure.

"Everyone wants transparency, and we have to balance that with confidential human resource matters," Bradford said.

Recent years have been tough for the TTC, with the pandemic causing ridership numbers to plummet, alongside widely publicized instances of violence prompting increased police presence on transit routes.

TTC officials have said, after years ofroute clawbacks, that service levels would be increased to 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in November, alongside 99 per cent for bus services.