More details on lap dancers’ suspensions

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This article was published 09/04/2010 (5641 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg School Division trustee is now shedding some light on the behind-the-scenes disciplinary decisions taken with two Churchill High teachers who performed a lewd lap dance for students.

According to trustee Mike Babinksy, the male and female teacher — whose racy performance Feb. 17 ended up going viral on the web — were paid for the first two weeks of their suspension, then were called in to head office the first week of March and suspended without pay.

Babinsky said Thursday that the timing of the disciplinary change was due to a senior division official’s suffering a death in the family only days after the incident happened.

Babinsky said that the mother of human resources director Eugene Gerbasi died Feb. 22, just as the division launched an investigation into the incident.

When Gerbasi returned to work the following week, the two teachers were called in individually on March 2 and 3, “and told you’re now suspended without pay,” Babinsky said.

Babinsky said that other staff did not want to make any decision about pay for the suspended teachers in Gerbasi’s absence.

Gerbasi came back to work March 1, Babinsky said Thursday. “The male (teacher) is called for an interview on (March 2), and told you’re now suspended without pay. The woman is called in (March 3) and told, you’re now suspended without pay,” said Babinsky.

Babinsky said that a parent told the Churchill principal Feb. 18 about the incident in the gym the day before, and the principal alerted the division late that day, a Thursday.

“The staff were told, do not come in on Friday,” Babinsky said. He says the two teachers were told: “Stay away from the school, you’re suspended with pay until we figure out what’s going on.”

The division saw no reason to work on the incident through the weekend, Babinsky said. But then Gerbasi was off work for a week, and the lap dance hit Youtube. “It went viral by the Wednesday, the Thursday,” Babinsky said.

Teachers Chrystie Fitchner and Adeil Ahmed have been suspended since performing the dance number which included simulated oral sex, at a school spirit event in the Churchill gym.

An administrative investigation continues, with no sign of senior staff bringing any recommendation for discipline to trustees any time soon. Board chair Jackie Sneesby says that trustees will not be hearing anything about the issue at Monday evening’s regular board meeting.

Winnipeg School Division confirmed Babinsky’s statements Thursday, the first time that the division has acknowledged publicly that two teachers are under suspension, and that they are Churchill teachers.

Said a WSD official: “If a teacher or other staff member is suspended by the Winnipeg School Division, it is usually with pay until enough information is found to support a suspension without pay.

“This is what happened in regard to the two Churchill teachers. The teachers were suspended with pay on Feb. 19, 2010.

“On March 2, the male teacher was suspended without pay. On March 3, the female teacher was suspended without pay,” said the official.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca