Responding to an integrity complaint by the father of an autistic son, Councillor Doug Ford said the man should “go to hell” and accused him of being part of a “jihad.”

The man, Tommy Lenathen, is a 35-year city employee who sits on the executive board of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416. He filed the complaint with the city’s integrity commissioner after Ford said an Etobicoke home for teenagers with autism has “ruined the community” and suggested, with no evidence, that the teenagers are criminals.

Lenathen asked Ford to apologize, accept sensitivity training, and resign.

“He can go to hell, I don’t even care,” Ford told the Toronto Sun on Thursday. He also told the Sun: “This is not normal in democracy. . . It is a full out jihad against us right now.”

The day prior, Ford approached Cynthia Mulligan, a CityNews reporter who had interviewed him, and accused her for no apparent reason of engaging in a “jihadist attack.” Mulligan said Ford apologized to her on Friday.

Lenathen said his complaint has nothing to do with his work with the union.

“This is a dad with an autistic son speaking up about this moron upstairs. When Doug says something like this, it reminds me of that part of the horse’s anatomy you’ll find directly under the tail. That’s a polite way of calling him a horse’s ass. You can quote me on that one,” he said.

“What is this about – ‘jihad?’ I’m a dad looking after the rights of my autistic son and all the other kids like him. ‘Jihad’? I’m not a member of any terrorist organization.

“It’s a typical Doug Ford response. They seem to think they’re above the law down here. I went through the proper process of a complaint. He’s not only telling me to go to hell, he’s telling every parent of an autistic kid in this town to go to hell. He’s telling the commissioner’s office to go to hell. I just can’t believe it. But I expect it from Doug Ford.”

Doug Ford is the campaign manager for Mayor Rob Ford. Mayoral candidate John Tory denounced his remarks in a Friday statement.

“Councillor Doug Ford's comments about the father of an autistic boy are disgraceful and totally unacceptable for an elected official – let alone the Mayor's campaign manager and closest confidante,” Tory said. “Using a loaded and inflammatory term like ‘jihad’ to describe legitimate criticism is pathetic and shows that the Fords just don't get it.”

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