Speaking on the third day of hearings into Redeemer Baptist School in Parramatta and its associated church, former student Emma Hughes told the inquiry that during mandatory school camps in 1998, students had to share cabins with teachers and it was often necessary for a student to share a bed with a teacher because there was not enough space.
In her submission, Hughes, who was not a member of the church community, wrote: "Although we did not want to share beds with our teachers, we didn't have a choice." She said nothing "untoward" happened to her while sharing a bed, but described the practice as "clearly inappropriate and unsafe". She also told the inquiry that her teacher made students "rotate" each night.
Former student Edward Garth, who was a member of the community, told the inquiry he was 12 when he saw school principal Jonathan Cannon naked. In June 2015, Garth was living in a school homestay arrangement near a school campsite with a 14-year-old student and a 15-year-old international student, with Cannon in the bedroom next door.
"I remember one night before dinner, I was in the kitchen getting a drink. As I walked into the living room, which was my bedroom at the time, I saw Jonathan Cannon, my principal, walk out of the bathroom into the living room naked before heading to his room. He was startled, and when they saw me, he ran to his room," Garth said.
The inquiry has previously heard former members describe the school and its church as a "cult". The hearings continue.