Former teacher misconduct commissioner contradicts premier, issues statement denying she was fired

What began as a quiet departure has rapidly snowballed into a tangled web of contradictions for the Manitoba government.

The controversy around the dismissal of the province’s original independent commissioner of teacher professional conduct deepened Tuesday, as Bobbi Taillefer released her side of the story behind her sudden exit.

Taillefer, who publicly left the role last week after the Free Press revealed she was working remotely from Florida, broke her silence in a written statement that directly challenges the narrative put forward by Premier Wab Kinew.

“What’s been described as a resignation was actually a firing,” Kinew told reporters late last week. “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.”

Among the allegations is Taillefer’s claim that despite her highly publicized dismissal, the government offered her a new contract to provide transition services to the new commissioner.

When pressed on the matter Tuesday, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt confirmed the transition contract, characterizing the situation as a “messy HR matter.”

“In the interest of consistency, we negotiated a transition period,” Schmidt told reporters, though she maintained Taillefer is no longer acting as commissioner.

Taillefer noted that both she and Schmidt have signed the transition contract, which began Monday and continues until July 13.

“There are, as was the case in the previous three contracts, no requirements to perform the services from within the geographical confines of Manitoba,” Taillefer wrote.

Schmidt conceded that point during Tuesday’s scrum, admitting it was her understanding that Taillefer’s contract “was silent” about any prohibitions against working remotely.

A copy of that employment agreement, previously obtained by the Free Press, confirms the lack of an explicit clause prohibiting out-of-country operations. However, it notes that the $80,000 annual salary for the part-time job includes “all expenses associated with travel and parking to the office location provided by Manitoba.”

The former commissioner also alleged the government was fully aware of her remote work arrangement from the very beginning. She said that during discussions prior to her hiring, she explicitly told government officials she would be spending time in Florida and would need to work remotely.

“In the interest of consistency, we negotiated a transition period.”

Taillefer claimed she was led to believe by two deputy ministers that both the Education Department and the premier’s office were aware she was occasionally working while physically located in the United States.

“I was in touch with department staff and government representatives on an almost daily basis,” Taillefer said. “At no time did anyone indicate that my originally agreed to working conditions were problematic and if they had, I would have tendered my resignation.”

The Free Press reached out to Taillefer in late March after receiving several credible tips that she was working from Florida.

In her first response, Taillefer stated she was providing support to a family member who suffered a stroke in Ontario and claimed to return to Manitoba for at least a week each winter month, making no mention of being in Florida.

In an attempt to follow up to confirm whether she was in Florida and explain why it was important she be transparent given her office is built on transparency, Taillefer never responded.

When asked directly if someone in the department knew about the arrangement, even if she and the premier did not, Schmidt wouldn’t deny the claim.

“I can’t speak on behalf of other people who was told what, when,” Schmidt said. “But I can tell you as the minister responsible, when I became aware I had serious concerns.”

The shifting narrative directly challenges the government’s timeline.

“At no time did anyone indicate that my originally agreed to working conditions were problematic and if they had, I would have tendered my resignation.”

Last Thursday, Schmidt confirmed Taillefer was no longer commissioner, first framing the departure as a resignation. Kinew interjected on Friday to bluntly correct the record, clarifying that Taillefer was actually fired because of her lack of judgment in working outside the province and country.

However, on Tuesday, Schmidt refused to repeat the premier’s assertion that Taillefer was terminated, opting to use softer language to describe the exit.

“Call it what you will. We parted with the former commissioner,” Schmidt said. “We can stand here and litigate the semantics all day.”

In her statement Tuesday, Taillefer said she offered her resignation last Wednesday, recognizing the media inquiries about her physical location were becoming a political liability for the government. She claims deputy minister of education Mona Padney accepted her voluntary resignation.

Taillefer called the implication that her conduct justified dismissal “blatantly false” and damaging to her reputation.

“This is a political issue, not a competence issue,” she wrote.

Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan was quick to jump on the contradictions Tuesday, launching heavy criticism at the NDP government for such mixed and confusing messaging.

“It’s clear as day, according to Bobbi Taillefer, that the premier is lying,” Khan said. “The premier is lying to Manitobans, the minister of education is lying to Manitobans and they can’t even get their story straight when it comes to protecting kids.”

Taillefer’s rebuttal comes just one day after the province scrambled to appoint David Yeo, a 30-year veteran of the Education Department, as acting commissioner, to ensure the office continues processing sensitive teacher misconduct complaints without interruption.

“Call it what you will. We parted with the former commissioner.”

Taillefer’s brief tenure was shrouded in controversy since her appointment was made public in September 2024. Shortly after assuming the role in January 2025, the Free Press revealed she was simultaneously working as executive director of Saskatchewan’s teachers union.

At the time, Schmidt defended the hiring despite critics calling the competing roles a significant conflict of interest.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

— with files from Gabrielle Piché