The demotion of a trailblazing Toronto cop

Plus, a minor subjected to strip searches and a COVID-era immigration policy [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning, and apologies for the late arrival of today’s edition. Here’s the latest on an underaged girl subjected to six strip searches, why a trailblazing Toronto cop was demoted and the end of a controversial COVID-era immigration policy. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star courts [A girl who participated in a deadly swarming faced ‘routine’ strip searches]( One of the teenage girls who pleaded guilty in the swarming death of Kenneth Lee was routinely strip-searched while in custody — including being forced to be completely naked on six separate occasions, a court has heard. “It was humiliating,” said the 15-year-old girl, who was 13 at the time of her arrest and the first four strip searches. [Jennifer Pagliaro dives into the disturbing revelation](. - The details: The unnamed girl’s first four searches were at the Sundance youth facility in Kingston, where it was policy to have girls strip completely naked during searches. The other two were done at Woodview in London, which had no such policy. - Background: Months earlier, the girl pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Lee, [who police allege was overpowered and stabbed by a group of eight teen girls in 2022](. - Now what? The girl’s lawyer planned to argue on Wednesday that her client’s charter rights had been violated. She plans to seek a reduced sentence. Richard Lautens/The Star policing [The cop at the centre of a cheating scandal has been demoted]( A trailblazing cop who became Toronto police’s first Black female superintendent will be stripped of her rank after leaking confidential exam questions to six Black officers in a “desperate effort to level the playing field,” Wendy Gillis reports. Supt. Stacy Clarke’s actions amounted to “extremely serious” misconduct, the police tribunal adjudicator said: “There is no room in policing for noble cause corruption.” [Here’s what happens now](. - The consequences: Clarke will be knocked down to the rank of inspector for two years. She must reapply to regain her hard-fought higher rank. - Knock-on effects: All six of the officers she helped faced career consequences when the cheating came to light; five received unit-level discipline and were docked thousands in pay, while a sixth was demoted. - Divided: Clarke’s actions won her hero status among many, in part for shining a light on the systemic barriers faced by racialized officers, [others say her decisions backfired, ultimately damaging public trust](. Canadian Press/Spencer Colby immigration [Visitors can no longer apply for work permits from within Canada]( Ottawa has ended a COVID-era measure blamed for contributing to Canada’s surging numbers of temporary residents, Nicholas Keung reports. Starting immediately, visitors can no longer apply for work permits from within Canada — part of the Immigration Department’s plans to “recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system.” [Here’s what this could mean for immigration in Canada](. - Background: The measure was instituted partly to mitigate the financial hardship faced by visitors stuck in Canada amid COVID-era border closures and to fill labour shortages after the pandemic. - Word from advocates: It will now be harder — if not impossible — for temporary foreign workers to maintain employment from within Canada once their work authorization expires. - Meanwhile: The number of “open work permits” has surged in the last five years — [a development experts say points to rampant abuse within the temporary foreign worker program](. WHAT ELSE A Toronto judge got rebuked for “mocking,” “inflammatory” and “inappropriate” [comments during a family court battle](. Doug Ford’s new education minister tells the Star [why next week’s school cellphone ban is so important](. CPP’s investment board will spend an estimated [$300 million-plus on its lavish new digs at CIBC Square](. The TTC board has named a new acting CEO. [Here’s why he’s expected to last only a few weeks](. [Mississauga parents fear for their children’s lives]( if another flood hits during the school year. Whooping cough infections are surging across Canada and Toronto. [Here’s how to keep your kids safe](. York police issued a warrant for a man wanted in the death of a Markham realtor — [but he may have already left the country](. A Toronto cop who stole a Swiss watch and credit cards was [denied bail after allegedly trying to flee the country](. Controversial YouTube sensation MrBeast is working on a new Toronto production. [Check out what he’s up to](. Telegram’s CEO was charged in France for complicity in the [spread of child sexual imagery and other crimes on his app](. This comfort food staple is having a [renaissance in Toronto restaurants](. Toronto concert calendar: [These are the 24 shows we’re most excited to see this fall](. POV Lance McMillan/The Star [We’re terrible at talking about the Israel-Hamas conflict. I tried to figure out why.]( CLOSE-UP Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images PARIS: So long, Olympics; hello, Paralympics! Flag bearers Patrick Anderson and Katarina Roxon led Canada’s delegation through the nearly four-hour-long Paralympic Games opening ceremony in the heart of Paris yesterday. [Here’s a recap of the spectacular ceremony — and a preview of what’s in store](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_1243). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](