Ex-teacher WASIT an aberration in an otherwise solid teaching career, or was it a. Serious criminal breach of trust? By Brent Mudry Contributing Writer The two conflicting views of John Alexander Bain emerged in B.C, Supreme Court Wednesday as the foimer Handsworth secondary school drama teacher was sentenced to four months in jail for engaging two 16-year-old female students in extended sexual affairs about 15 years ago. Associate Chief Justice Patwick Dohm judiciously mixed praise and scom as he sentenced Bain, who plead- ed guilty to two counts of gross indecency on Feb. 7. Bain, now 54, admitted he engaged the young women in sex at the school and at his home nearby, while his wife was away, sometimes with his two young: children in the house. He then swore the young women, his star students, to life-long secrecy. GARY FISHER "the inventor of Mountain Bikes" 69 z AVANT ANT CARDES 479 WAHOO sat rac Pry Hid & UANBA ont S19 on BIGSUR sas mua $1049 “He said his wife would leave him... and he would lose his family.” prosecutor Greg Weber told the coun. Defence lawyer Donald Muldoon said his client freely confessed when the veil of secrecy was lifted in November 1994, after one of the victims went to the police. Bain was suspended. Muldoon argued that Bain and his family have suffered enough due to the adverse publicity in the News. “The local media have vilified my client... there was a large picture in the paper... that stigma he will carry with him for the rest of his life”” Muldoon told the judge. Justice Dohm was sym- pathetic to the plight of both Bain and his victims, who sat with several supporters in court. Bain's wife sat two rows away and declined any comment. “Just leave her alone,” Muldoon told a reporter. Justice Dohm and Bain’s lawyer shared a pro- fessional and sympathetic volley of comments at sev- eral stages in the sentencing hearing. “4 appreciate your client is! a ruined person... absolutely ruined,” FACTORY FUTON Entrance in rear (ane @. r=" ; Netuting wineShield _ New Cor Woranty Approved Lonsdale at 13th on.- Saf, H1-Gprm Sunday T2-$ pm sentenced Justice Dohm said. The judge noted he would prefer to send Bain out of the doors of the courtroom as a free man, but the law required him to impose a sentence. “He robbed these two individuals of much of their formative years, if not all,” Justice Dohm said. The judge noted Bain served as close friend and father figure to the two young women, sharing many after-work hours and frequently inviting them over for dinner, usually with his wife and two young children in attendance. “He was their star, their role model,” said Dohm, The judge rejected Weber's claim that Bain lured the girls to a close friendship at age 14 and 15 and then waited until they were 16 before initiating them into sexual affairs. “am satisfied no delib- erate plan to set about, fo snare them, existed,” Justice Dohm stated. The illegal sex acts took place over a five-year peri- od ending in 1981. “After rehearsal, he took her into an adjacent room and had sex with her," pros- ecutor Weber noted of one girl's first experience. “The acts of impropriety wi 307 occurred on a consensual basis,” the judge stated. Justice Dohm cited a stack of praising “well-writ- ten" character letters sup- porting Bain, sent by his family, colleagues and neighbors. The writers included two former Handsworth principals and a number of teachers Bain had worked with. “It sounds to me... that any parent would be simply delighted to have Mr. Bain as a teacher, except for these circumstances,” the judge stated, “Let us hope. there are still teachers who take their job as seriously as Mr. Bain did,” he added. The victim impact state- ments were less charitable. “There are few more important roles in society than that of a teacher... if I ever have kids, [ will find it very difficult to entrust them to the school system,” one woman wrote. Justice Dohm expressed concern that corrections officials recommended Bain not be allowed to serve his time at home on elec- tronic monitoring. “My view of electronic moniter- ing is that it is'as difficult or more difficult to serve time than going to jail,” the judge ; cOMF sito a pe sofa Ded frame, : Tp score fat, scr ot cve oes cad pom covers. Wolbe muan’ies ast 267 © Ist. Wan MRAPIDIUBE DRIVE-THRU Of. 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The priority is to deliver programs to youth, ages 19-24, The Ministry is interested in establishing eligibility lists for the purpose of competing, and awarding future contract services, Services the Ministry may require include: ASSISTED JOB SEARCH. * Information Sessions 2 Starting Points/Information Delivery ¢ Group Job Search Activities * Resume Writing © Group & Individual Career Manning © Group or Individual Assessment * Diagnostic Assessments * Entrepreneurial Exploration Workshop This is a Request for Information and Qualifications ONLY. Information collected will be used to compile lists of qualified service providers. Responses to this request will not guarantee any individual or company an opportunity to compete for future services. JOB READINESS’ COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT TRAINING @RIDGING * Career Planning * Personal Management Skills * Specific Skills Training * Employment Maintenance Skills * Work Experience * Job Search Skills * Next Steps Support and Planning To respond to this request and to acquire detailed program descriptions and qualifications. interested parties must FAX their request to: Marlene Roas, Purchasing Agent BC Purchasing Commission FAX: (604) 655-2409 Requests must contain agency/individual name, full street address, postal code, telephone and FAX #'s and the area/city of potential service deliv- ery. Further information may be couriered collect or sent by mail. Please ad- vise of your choice. 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