The Manitoba government has abruptly parted ways with its commissioner in charge of investigating misconduct complaints against teachers.
Premier Wab Kinew says the government recently found out that Bobbi Taillefer was working from Florida and decided it was not acceptable.
Taillefer, a former teacher union leader, was appointed over a year ago as Manitoba’s first commissioner of teacher professional conduct.
The appointment came as the province established a public registry of teachers whose certificates have been suspended or cancelled due to misconduct.
Taillefer’s departure was first reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, and Kinew says anyone in charge of deciding matters of child safety needs to be in the province.
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The Canadian Press was unable to contact Taillefer for comment.
“What’s been described as a resignation was actually a firing. We said, ‘You cannot be in Florida,’” Kinew told reporters Friday. He said he didn’t know how long Taillefer had been in the United States.
“If you want to be the person who’s going to decide whether or not an adult teacher can be in a classroom with a child in Manitoba, you need to be in Manitoba too.”
As commissioner, Taillefer received and investigated complaints and could refer cases to a hearing panel for adjudication.
The online registry allows members of the public to search a teacher’s name and see whether their teaching certificate is still in good standing. There’s also a chronological list of disciplinary decisions.
The latest decision involved a teacher who met up with a student and provided the student with cannabis and alcohol, says a consent resolution agreement. The teacher’s certificate was cancelled.
Kinew said the commissioner’s work in Florida could also have presented a security risk for sensitive data contained in complaints and investigations.
He pointed to U.S. laws such as the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, known as the Cloud Act, which allows American authorities to request data from U.S. tech companies, even if the data is held on servers in other countries.
“And now with this Cloud Act in the States, there’s the ability for American data providers to reach across the Canadian border,” Kinew said.
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