Argos engulfed in scandal

It was supposed to be a quiet time for the CFL, a break from the frenzy that was free agency the last couple of weeks.

Then a bombshell in the form of a wrongful dismissal lawsuit aimed at the Toronto Argonauts, with a specific focus on No. 1 quarterback Chad Kelly, changed all that. On Thursday, TSN’s Rick Westhead published a report detailing the lawsuit filed by a former Argonauts assistant strength and conditioning coach.

In the lawsuit, the coach alleges she was harassed by Kelly on several occasions and the Argonauts enabled him by created a toxic work environment, as well as an unwillingness to properly address the issue despite being informed of his behaviour. The lawsuit also alleges the team breached the CFL’s violence against women policy by not submitting an incident report to the league’s office.

The coach, who worked for the Argos between 2018 and January of this year, is suing Kelly for $50,000 for alleged violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code, according to TSN, and the Argos for $85,714, for wrongful dismissal. The allegations against Kelly and the Argos have not been tested in court and a response has yet to be filed by the player or team.

“(The plaintiff) reported the harassment she was experiencing from Chad to her superiors,” the coach’s lawsuit said, according to TSN. “(The) Argonauts failed to address (her) legitimate concerns and then terminated her employment.”

Kelly is entering the first of a three-year contract that pays him a combined $1.865 million — a price tag that makes him the highest paid player in the CFL. The 29-year-old helped the Argos set a new league mark for the best single-season record, at 16-2, last year and is viewed as the franchise’s poster boy in the CFL’s largest market.

There’s a lot to breakdown from the lawsuit, so let’s get into it in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) The CFL and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), the owners of the Argos, issued separate statements Thursday, indicating they’re aware of the lawsuit and they would be offering no further comment at this time. It’s important to note again the allegations haven’t been tested in court, nor do we know yet whether the case will proceed or be settled privately. Also, kudos to Westhead for bringing the lawsuit to light, with information in the next two bullets also from his TSN report.

2) Among the allegations were Kelly, during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, “repeatedly sought to initiate romantic connections… by asking (her) out on numerous occasions.” The coach noted despite her polite refusals, Kelly remained persistent with his advances. Things then escalated in November 2023, with the coach claiming she was informed by another player, while riding the team bus, that “Kelly publicly accused (her) of engaging in romantic relations with another team member.” When the coach confronted Kelly privately about the claims, rather than addressing her concerns, “Chad reacted with aggression, screaming, cursing, and waving his hands at (her).” Shortly thereafter, the coach was eating breakfast with at least eight others, notably her supervisor in head athletic therapist, Usama Mujtaba. When Kelly saw her from across the room, she alleges he yelled derogatory words at her and added he couldn’t wait until she was fired.

3) After the breakfast incident, the coach informed Mujtaba and Argos assistant general manager John Murphy about what was going on with Kelly. “Murphy responded by stating that (she) should not have spoken to (Kelly) and that she has now ‘opened a can of worms that didn’t need to be opened.” Expected to lead a yoga class later that day, the coach was told because Kelly might attend, someone else would take over. The coach then claims after she went to the weight room, she was told by Mujtaba to go home in the event Kelly showed up. Then, “On Nov. 10, 2023, (the coach) learned Chad had made a threatening remark, suggesting she was fortunate he hadn’t physically harmed her.” She was told her contract would not be renewed on Jan. 29.

4) I had my own concerns about Kelly joining the CFL ahead of the 2022 season, owing to a pattern of disruptive and abusive behaviour dating back to his college days, which I detailed in this column after he signed his first contract with the Argos. During one incident, Kelly got into an altercation at a local restaurant, where he punched a bouncer and then scuffled with police. According to police reports, Kelly allegedly threatened to go to his car and grab an AK-47 to “spray this place.” He was also arrested and pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing after he entered the home of an Englewood, Col., man and woman while visibly drunk after a night out.

5) His questionable actions weren’t limited to breaking the law, either. Kelly was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the nephew of Buffalo Bills great and Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly, who convinced fellow pivot John Elway, then the Broncos GM, to select his nephew with the last pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. While at Clemson in 2012, Kelly clashed with teammates, which led to him being kicked off the team and committing to Ole Miss, with the restaurant incident happening a short time later (the trespassing charge ended Kelly’s run with the Broncos). While at this year’s Grey Cup in Hamilton, Kelly claimed to have suffered a significant concussion during the East final, which had the Argos brass fuming behind the scenes over an injury they claimed to have no idea about.

6) Murphy, the club’s assistant GM accused of dismissing the coach’s concerns, was quietly reinstated by the CFL this past season after losing his job as the club’s vice-president of player personnel in December 2021 following an internal review. Murphy was fired after he was seen getting physical with fans after the East final and shouting a homophobic slur. Murphy has the reputation of being a strong talent evaluator but is hardly adored by the players. He’s also the de facto GM, but because of his embarrassing actions of the past, it’s Mike “Pinball” Clemons who holds the official title. The team’s success this season will depend on Murphy’s ability to find players after a mass exodus of guys this off-season, assuming he’s still around.

7) There’s little evidence to suggest CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie understands the league’s violence against women policy, which is being challenged in the case. He didn’t follow proper protocol in vetting former QB Johnny Manziel, which I outlined in a 2018 Free Press investigation, despite Manziel having a history of domestic violence. Manziel ended up violating one of his undisclosed conditions and was released and then expelled from the league. There’s no evidence to suggest they followed protocol to vet Kelly, either. While there are several components to the policy, it’s built on taking a rehabilitative approach by offering supports to both the perpetrator and victim. That’s never been the case, as Ambrosie, when faced with these types of situations, has simply resorted to cutting the player and banning teams from offering a contract.

8) It will be interesting to see how Ambrosie handles Kelly. MLSE has significant pull in the CFL and if they want their star QB to return, it could be a struggle to tell them no. If they do keep Kelly, though, I wonder how they’re able to pay him that marketing money he’s owed, which comes in at around $100,000 per year and is paid out to the player for things such as public appearances.

9) This isn’t the first time the Argos have been sued for wrongful dismissal by a female trainer. Erin Brooks, who was hired in 2000 and promoted to head athletic therapist two years later, filed the lawsuit in 2011, accusing the club’s then GM Jim Barker of calling all women “bitches” and saying he would not be comfortable working with female therapists because they would “mother” players, according to a 2012 story in the Toronto Star that was also written by Westhead. Brooks sued the Argos, Barker and then-team president Bob Nicholson for $975,000, but the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

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