Suspended QB Chad Kelly is on the field with the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday

GUELPH, Ont. — Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly was back on the field Thursday, just two days after he was suspended by the CFL for violating its gender-based violence policy.

On Tuesday, Kelly was banned from playing in two preseason games and at least nine regular-season contests in Toronto. That followed a league investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength and conditioning coach against Kelly for sexual harassment and the Argos for wrongful dismissal.

Kelly was on the field but not in the gear on the second day of rookie camp at the University of Guelph in Toronto. He wore shorts, a long-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap and appeared to be working with the Argos quarterbacks.

Afterward, Toronto GM Mike (Pinball) Clemons told reporters that Kelly’s presence was within the CFL’s disciplinary policy. A league spokesman said Kelly was on the field at the Argos’ discretion.

“He (Kelly) was there but didn’t practice,” Clemons said. “He’s allowed to be out here, the league has given him that permission and we’re going to follow the league’s direction.”

Kelly was the CFL’s standout player last season after leading Toronto to a league-best 16-2 mark and a franchise record. But the Argos’ campaign ended with a 38-17 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division final.

The CFL investigation came after a complainant filed a statement of claim with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleging a pattern of harassment by Kelly that began with unwanted romantic advances and escalated to instances of threatening language.

The coach said the Argos failed to act when they learned of Kelly’s behavior and GM John Murphy, assistant claims assistant, said she “opened a can of worms that didn’t need to be opened.”

Clemons said he didn’t know about the allegations until they became public. He added that he had never received a report on the CFL’s investigation but believed the Argos’ legal representatives had received a summary.

“It’s really important to know that building a healthy and positive workplace for everyone is a personal priority for me and our organization,” Clemons said. “As the club announced on Tuesday after being informed of the outcome of the league’s investigation and resulting disciplinary action, we will respectfully abide by the league’s decision.”

“But beyond that, we will take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from a recurrence of this situation… It is not enough to simply comply with league rules. If we want to take this seriously, we have to do this. “I continue to learn and grow in this area, and that’s my job.”

The complainant said she was informed in January that her contract with the club would not be renewed. The complainant had joined the franchise in 2018 and stated that her contract had previously been continuously renewed.

Kelly’s camp continues to consider its options. He could appeal the ban and theoretically be allowed to play until an arbitration hearing. If that happens, Clemons said, the Argos would decide whether to let him back or issue their own disciplinary action.

Under the suspension, Kelly must undergo a confidential evaluation by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert. Both must be completed satisfactorily before the CFL will consider Kelly’s reinstatement and reserve the right to change his discipline.

If Kelly meets all conditions to the CFL’s satisfaction, he could return for Toronto’s home game against Saskatchewan on August 22.

Clemons said he isn’t looking that far into the future.

“At this point I have no expectations,” he said. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done on behalf of everyone.”

“This (equality in the workplace) is something that I really care about and making sure there is space for people. I try to be respectful in everything I do, that’s our hope,” he added.

With Kelly suspended, sophomores Cameron Dukes and Bryan Scott are expected to compete for the starting positions. Both played sparingly last year, as Kelly started 16 times in the regular season, although Dukes was under center in the other two games.

“Right now, that’s probably the last thing on my mind,” Clemons said. “If I could do it differently, I would ask a lot more questions a lot sooner.”

There was no announcement of any penalties or sanctions against the Argos. Clemons said anyone seeking responsibility within the organization need look no further than him.

“If you want to blame someone, I’m the one,” he said. “If that’s anyone, it’s me, because I’m the boss.

“I don’t know what goes beyond a goal, but what goes beyond the goal is what we want. We want to work to ensure this is a safe and healthy environment for everyone.”