BC high school teacher who hugs students gets suspended

A BC high school teacher who repeatedly gave side hugs to students and once told a class he was attracted to “short women and big butts” has been suspended for three days.

According to an Oct. 21, BC Commissioner for Teacher Education, English teacher Shadrick Peter Cain made numerous comments and touched students while teaching Grade 10 and 11 English.

“Cain caused emotional distress to a student with his sexualized conduct,” the Commissioner said in the decision. “(And) did not create a positive classroom environment.”

The decision said the teacher had previously been warned by the Greater Victoria school district about hugging students and talking about his personal life, but continued with his behaviour.

The decision said that while teaching a Grade 10 class during the 2021/2022 school year, Cain “made unnecessary and unwelcome physical” contact by touching the student on the shoulders on two occasions. On three occasions, the teacher leaned over the student to see their work and had his face six inches from theirs.

The following school year, he again made “unnecessary and unwelcome physical contact” with the same student, referred to as Student A in the decision.

“Cain gave Student A at least four side hugs, once rubbed Student A’s shoulders when Student A was in the library, and once approached Student A in the library, putting his face within one foot of Student A’s, while giving Student A a side hug and rubbing Student A’s upper arm,” the decision said. “Student A reported feeling extremely uncomfortable as a result of Cain’s conduct.”

That school year, he also made “unnecessary and unwelcome physical contact” with a Grade 10 student by touching them on the waist while walking past them.

“On another occasion in April 2023, Cain approached Student B who was standing with other teachers, put his arm around Student B and said, ‘Are they bothering you?'” the decision read.

He also gave the student a side hug and told them he was proud of them being in class more often.

The student reported feeling “extremely uncomfortable.”

The school district suspended him for five days and issued a letter of discipline telling him to “cease and desist physically touching or side hugging students.”

Months after getting the letter, he made more inappropriate comments as the new school year began.

In one class, he said homophobia would not be tolerated.

“Cain said that if a student said ‘you f-ing f-a-g’ in class, that student would be told that this language was not permissible,” the decision read.

In another class, he told his students he liked short women with long silky hair and big butts. He said this while making a round motion with his hands.

“Cain then said that ‘you could be walking down the street, and you see an attractive person from behind, and it turns out it’s not a woman, but your friend Bill … he’s really hot but that doesn’t make me gay,'” the decision read.

He also told students about the feeling he gets when attracted to someone, which he described as “sweat and butterflies,” and told the class they should ask for students’ numbers if they’re interested in them because, “you never know.”

Three students withdrew from his class because they felt so uncomfortable with his comments.

Cain was again issued a letter of discipline by the school district and told to develop a more inclusive and safe lesson plan on transgender issues.

The teacher’s file was handed over to the BC Commissioner for Teacher Regulation, which took further action.

The regulator issued a three-day suspension, and Cain signed a consent agreement admitting to his conduct.

“Cain was not role modelling behaviour expected of a certificate holder,” the regulator said. “(And) Cain engaged in repeated inappropriate conduct.”