Mayor Rob Ford says he doesn’t want to waste his time on inflammatory allegations made against him late last week.

On his call-in radio show on Newstalk 1010, he briefly addressed former mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson’s claims he had made inappropriate comments and groped her at a gala on Thursday night.

“I don’t want to waste any more time on this. It’s not true,” Ford said on Sunday.

“I don’t know if [Thomson’s] playing with a full deck … When people want to make up stories, that’s their prerogative and we’ll leave it at that.”

Shortly after Ford made the comments on his radio show Thomson took to Facebook, saying this kind of reaction to sexual assault is a step in the wrong direction for women’s rights.

“Women used to be called “hysterical” or “crazy” when they claimed a sexual assault… this made many stay silent. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has just done the same to me and in so doing taken us back generations!”

In an official statement released Sunday evening, Thomson called the mayor out for previous instances where he had denied his actions, only to admit to them later.

“Mayor Ford has lied publicly numerous times. He denied the drunken incident where he verbally assaulted a Durham couple during a hockey game but later admitted to it. And During 2010 civic election campaign he denied being arrested for pot possession in Florida and then admitted it and another DUI charge,” she said.

“The Mayor has a history of denial but usually owns up to his mistakes once the facts become overwhelming and I expect that he will eventually own up to this one.”

Ford said he must have taken 400-500 pictures that night and hadn’t had a problem with anyone else. He also released a statement staunchly denying the allegations on Friday.

On Saturday, Thomson also posted about comments she has received since making the allegations.

“So much hate from people today, yet it’s the supportive messages that have me in tears,” she wrote. “So many women have been assaulted and I am ashamed that as publisher of Women’s Post I wasn’t aware of the extent of it. I will do better.”

In another post, Thomson thanked former Vaughan MPP Greg Sorbara for his support.

“Big thank you to Greg Sorbara your words of support mean a lot to me today,” she said.

Sorbara had come to Thomson’s defense on Friday after she made the allegations.

“To me, it doesn’t sound like something she would just make up in order to get a little ink,” Sorbara had told the Toronto Star. “Sarah was a very strong candidate, a very aggressive candidate, one who always wanted to speak her mind, and did.”

Sorbara supported Thomson when she was running for the Ontario Liberals in the ward of Trinity-Spadina.

Statement from Sarah Thomson, March 10, 2013

Early Friday morning, I posted a photo to my Facebook and reported that Mayor Rob Ford made suggestive comments and groped me at a CJPAC party.

Since then, the Mayor, his supporters and conservative media agencies have denied my claims, impugned my character and attacked my credibility.

I did not make these accusations lightly. I admit I did not handle the press perfectly, but I had just gone through a very rattling experience.

Over the past few days people have accused me of hating the Mayor and this I must repeat is not the case. I have always found him to be respectful, somewhat shy, but professional. While things have been competitive between us, I have always appreciated his stand on the need for subway expansion.

I am not the kind of woman who sees chauvinism everywhere or believes in reckless denunciations. But Mayor Ford was behaving inappropriately, and there was clearly something wrong with him during the CJPAC event.

He must be discouraged from over indulging to the point where he is groping or making lewd comments, and women should not put up with it when it happens. The Mayor was outrageous, he acted horribly, and I won’t be intimidated by the whitewashing he has tried so hard to generate.

Decades ago powerful men who sexually assaulted women would call them “hysterical,” or “crazy” to debase their credibility. It pushed many assaulted women into silence. Today Mayor Ford stated that he wondered if I was “playing with a full deck” try to discredit me. He will not push me into silence and I hope his accusations do not re-ignite the old fears that once silenced women.

We need an ongoing dialogue to ensure respect for women in the workplace and to create an inclusive and safe society for all.

Unlike the Mayor, I do not have a history of lying about my behaviour. Mayor Ford has lied publicly numerous times. He denied the drunken incident where he verbally assaulted a Durham couple during a hockey game but later admitted to it. And During 2010 civic election campaign he denied being arrested for pot possession in Florida and then admitted it and another DUI charge.

The Mayor has a history of denial but usually owns up to his mistakes once the facts become overwhelming and I expect that he will eventually own up to this one.