Ex-Teacher Admits to Sleepover With Student, Playing Strip Basketball With Others

A former teacher admited to making students to play “Strip 21,” which involved students removing an item of clothing for every shot they missed.

A former teacher has been accused by an ex-student of inappropriate behavior, the CBC reports. The student alleges that while Martina Cain was a basketball coach at Churchill Community High School in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, she forced students to play “Strip 21,” a game that involved students removing an item of clothing for every shot they missed, during basketball practice.

The incidents allegedly took place between 1986 and 1989, and also included sleepovers in which Cain’s accuser slept in her bed. During her own professional misconduct hearing, Cain admitted Wednesday that games of “Strip 21” were played, but were limited to the removal of socks and shoes.

Cain also admitted that sleepovers between her and the student did occur, but only because she didn’t own a couch at the time. “Certainly that would be misconduct, considered misconduct now, but given it happened 30 years ago, it happened in a small community, nothing untoward happened, my view is that it’s a different standard applied,” Cain’s lawyer Jay Watson said.

Roger Lepage, lawyer for the Professional Conduct Committee, argued that the timing of the incidents is inconsequential, and that student-teacher boundaries were clearly violated. “When a parent entrusts a student to a teacher, you would expect that teacher to respect those professional boundaries,” Lepage said. “I think the clear message the professional conduct committee wants to put out is that it’s totally inappropriate for a teacher to have a student sleeping in the same bed,” he said.

One alleged incident involved Cain and the former student in a hot tub, when Cain asked the student to remove her bathing suit. Cain flatly denied that claim.

Cain’s former assistant, Pam Schwann, was called as a witness and denied any knowledge of sleepovers, illicit hot tub activities, and strip basketball. The hearing has since wrapped, and Cain is currently waiting on a decision. If convicted, Cain’s teaching certificate would be permanently revoked.

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