The Trent Central Student Association is calling on Trent University and the City of Peterborough to take decisive action following what it describes as a deeply troubling incident involving Mayor Jeff Leal.
According to a statement released by the TCSA, Leal used the n-word and made racially offensive remarks targeting Black and Mexican communities while serving as a guest lecturer in a Trent University business class on March 19th.
“The Trent Central Student Association is deeply saddened by the actions of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal,” the student association wrote. “The City of Peterborough should hold its mayor to a higher standard.”
The audio was first reported in the Peterborough Examiner. In the clip, the mayor can be heard saying:
“Lyndon Johnson was an FDR New Dealer and he came out of the hills of Texas. He used this language that you would never use today, and he talked about poor n*****s and Mexicans that he taught Sunday School to.”
In response to the incident, the TCSA has filed a formal complaint with the Peterborough Integrity Commissioner and is demanding both institutional and municipal accountability.
The student association is calling on Trent University to permanently bar Leal from returning to campus, to ensure future guest speakers undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-Black racism training delivered by BIPOC staff, and to screen and review all guest lectures prior to presentation.
The association is also urging the City of Peterborough to launch an integrity review of the mayor’s conduct under Section 10 of the City Council Code of Conduct, which addresses respectful behaviour. Additionally, the TCSA wants anti-racism and DEI training mandated for all city councillors and staff.
It is also calling for the city to revise its 2023–2050 Strategic Plan to make anti-racism and race relations a key priority. The proposed revision would include addressing various forms of hate, including anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and anti-Asian racism, xenophobia, anti-immigrant sentiments, anti-semitism, and Islamophobia.
The TCSA has announced a sit-in protest at Peterborough City Hall scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 5:00 p.m., and is encouraging Trent students and community members to attend in solidarity.
“Individuals who spread hate do not deserve to hold political power,” the association said.
On Tuesday, Leal put out a statement regarding the incident:
During a recent guest lecture at Trent University, I quoted a historical remark attributed to former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson from his time as a congressman in the 1930s. In doing so, the quote that I used included a racial slur that is deeply offensive and hurtful.
I sincerely apologize. Regardless of the context or intent, using that word was wrong. I recognize the pain it carries and the responsibility I have to speak with care and respect. I apologize to Trent students and faculty, to Trent University, and to my community.
I believe in building a welcoming and inclusive community. I did not contribute to the betterment of my community when I used that quote – when I said those words.
I am committed to listening, learning, and doing better.
