Mattamy Homes Stripper Video: What the Job-Site Incident Means for Just Cause in Ontario

A disturbing incident at a Mattamy Homes construction site in Milton went viral after graphic footage surfaced online. The now widely circulated “Mattamy Homes stripper video” shows several individuals associated with Nelmar Drywall partying with a stripper directly on the job site — a shocking breach of workplace conduct and pandemic safety rules.

The fallout was immediate: every Nelmar worker involved was fired, the Ministry of Labour launched an investigation, and both CBC News and Global News published detailed reports about what happened.

Employment lawyer Fiona Martyn at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP provided legal commentary to Global News and CTV News at the time and explained what this kind of behaviour means for “just cause” terminations under Ontario employment law.

Below is a clear breakdown of the incident, the employer responses, and the legal consequences for construction workers involved in the widely discussed Nelmar Drywall stripper video.

What the Mattamy Homes Stripper Video Shows

According to reporting, the footage and photos reveal:

• A woman hired as a stripper dancing inside a partially built Mattamy home
• Workers touching the woman and drinking vodka, including out of a magnum bottle
• Several men wearing Nelmar Drywall Co. Ltd. shirts
• No one wearing masks or distancing, despite strict COVID-19 restrictions at the time

CBC News described the video as “graphic,” showing at least six participants in close proximity, with multiple violations of workplace and public-health rules.

This incident occurred on the same day Ontario reported more than 4,700 new COVID-19 cases and warned of a “dire” strain on the province’s healthcare system.

How Mattamy Homes Responded

Mattamy Homes issued a strongly worded public statement, calling the behaviour:

• “Extremely inappropriate and entirely unacceptable”
• “Grossly inappropriate and reckless”

Mattamy emphasized:

• It had no prior knowledge of the event
• None of its direct employees were present
• It would reinforce its code of conduct across all trade partners
• COVID-19 protocols and site security would be reviewed and strengthened

How Nelmar Drywall Responded

Nelmar Drywall condemned the behaviour as:

• “Inappropriate and completely unacceptable conduct.”

The company:

• Launched an internal investigation
• Confirmed the behaviour violated its anti-harassment, health and safety, and COVID-19 policies
• Terminated the employment of every individual involved
• Indicated potential further training and monitoring

Contrary to early social media speculation, Nelmar’s contract with Mattamy Homes was not cancelled — only individual workers were dismissed.

Ministry of Labour Investigation

The Ministry of Labour publicly acknowledged the circulating footage of the “Nelmar drywall video”, calling the behaviour “completely unacceptable and should never happen in the workplace.”

An investigation into safety and conduct violations was opened shortly after the video surfaced.

Legal Analysis: Was This Enough to Fire Employees for “Just Cause”?

The legal question at the centre of the construction site stripper incident is whether firing all involved workers for cause was justified under Ontario law.

• Employers face a very high bar when trying to prove a just cause termination.
• Courts call just cause the “capital punishment of employment law.”
• A worker terminated for cause typically receives no severance, may be denied EI, and may face reputational harm.
• Usually, employers must apply progressive discipline — warnings, suspensions, etc.
• However, a single incident can justify cause when the behaviour is severe enough.

Does this incident meet the threshold?

Based on the known facts, this is one of the rare situations where a just cause dismissal is likely legally supportable.

Why?

• The behaviour was sexualized, unprofessional, and captured on video
• Alcohol was present on a construction site
• There were serious public-health rule violations
• The conduct risked employer reputation and public trust
• Multiple workplace policies were clearly breached
• The incident drew wide media coverage and public criticism

As our commentary noted:

“The workers in the video likely fall into this camp.”

Fiona Martyn’s Legal Interview With Global News

To help the public understand the legal implications of the Nelmar drywall stripper incident, Employment Lawyer Fiona Martyn provided commentary to Global News.

What This Means for Other Ontario Employees

Even though the Mattamy Homes stripper incident appears to meet the threshold for cause, most terminations involving misconduct do not.

Key points for employees:

1. “Cause” is extremely rare.

Most employees fired “for cause” are actually owed full severance in Ontario — as much as 24 months’ pay.

2. Context matters more than the allegation.

Your discipline history, employer policies, nature of the misconduct, and proportionality all factor into the legal outcome.

3. Never assume your employer is right.

Employers frequently misuse “for cause” to avoid paying severance.

4. Get legal advice before accepting a cause termination.

The consequences are too serious to navigate alone.

Fired for Cause? You May Still Be Owed Full Severance

If you were fired for cause — whether in a high-profile situation or a private workplace dispute — speak to an employment lawyer in Toronto before making any decisions. Many “for cause” terminations don’t meet the legal threshold, and employees are often entitled to months or even years of severance.