SCOOP: Tory MLA vowed to pay $1M to bail out niece convicted of sex crimes – Former teacher had relationship with 15-year-old student; ethics experts criticize optics of Nesbitt’s decision
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SCOOP: Province’s first teacher misconduct commissioner resigns suddenly -- Free Press informed province two weeks ago that Bobbi Taillefer was working remotely in Florida over winter
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Child protection experts and the education minister are clear: schools have an independent duty to act immediately in these cases. This investigation highlights a significant breakdown in the duty of care owed to MB students.
Read the full story here:
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When the family raised concerns, the administration cited the accused's right to an education, leaving the victim burdened with navigating her own safety. It ultimately took the family going to the police themselves to get charges laid and a no-contact order issued.
Following the assault, school administrators did the bare minimum. Neither police nor Child and Family Services were notified. Just days later, the accused was allowed back into the same classroom with the victim, with no formal safety plan in place.
When a teenage girl was sexually assaulted at a RETSD school, she should have been protected. Instead, she faced a system her family says abandoned her. I spoke with the family about the troubling fallout, resulting in a critical failure to act:
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This case exposes a massive gap in child protection for non-certified school staff. Read the full investigation here:
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Experts call it a "stunning institutional failure." While the school board micromanaged hiring, an uncertified teacher slipped through.
“How many more of these ghost teachers exist within the system?”
Martens faces charges of luring and sexual touching involving teenage girls. RCMP confirmed to the Free Press that the charges relate to his role as a teacher and that his employer was notified early. Yet, he remained a union member for months after his arrest.
Martens taught vocational classes and coached football in Steinbach and for the provincial U-18 team. But because he had no certificate and no permit, he was outside the jurisdiction of the provincial disciplinary commissioner.
Essentially, he was untouchable by standard oversight.
How does a teacher work in a public school without the province knowing he exists?
We investigated the case of Braeden Martens—an uncertified teacher charged with sexual offenses who slipped through every crack in the system.
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In today's @winnipegfreepress.com: A very insightful convo about the allure and cultural importance of #HeatedRivalry with my fellow arts reporters @nuchablue.bsky.social, @jenzoratti.bsky.social and sports reporter @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social 🍑 🏒 🔥
WFP Investigation🧵: How does a teacher groom a student from Grade 3, admit to being "obsessed" with her, and still get to quietly resign without charges? My investigation into the systemic failure that protected David Wray and shattered a Winnipeg family: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
The family hoped for justice but found a broken system. "Every time we talked about it or tried to get help... we were roadblocked." Read the full story of how the system let the teacher just walk away: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
This case exposes the deep flaws in how Manitoba handled teacher misconduct for decades. It reveals a culture of silence and protectionism that existed prior to the new oversight system introduced in 2025.
The Manitoba Teachers’ Society played a key role, facilitating a deal that allowed Wray to resign quietly. This happened despite his own admission of an obsession with the student. His teaching certificate remained in good standing for years afterward.
The roadblocks continued. River East Transcona School Division claimed to launch an investigation but never interviewed the victim or her parents. The family was left in the dark, offered no support, and forced to navigate the trauma alone while the system circled the wagons.
Wray told the student he loved her, wanted to sleep with her and wanted to be with her. He even taught her a "secret language," a specific noise to make when leaving the room to signal she loved him. When the family went to the police, they were told no crime had been committed.
WFP Investigation🧵: How does a teacher groom a student from Grade 3, admit to being "obsessed" with her, and still get to quietly resign without charges? My investigation into the systemic failure that protected David Wray and shattered a Winnipeg family: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
On Nov. 26, Jeff Hamilton and Katrina Clarke will discuss interviewing with care, building relationships and gaining the trust of important sources, and finding information from institutions that serve minors.
Register now: https://beeid.org/4865fb8ea86e
This investigation underscores a fundamental question: Does Manitoba's new teacher registry truly serve its purpose of protecting children and informing the public, or is it merely a basic database that conceals more than it reveals?
Read here: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...
The findings are alarming: the investigation revealed at least 50 teachers in Manitoba have been convicted of sex-related crimes against minors, including sexual assault, child pornography, sexual interference, exploitation, and luring.
To help get the full picture, I spent months carefully poring over criminal and civil court documents, alongside decades of archival news clippings. We sought to understand why 115 teaching certificates were suspended or cancelled over the past 35 years.
A new teacher registry in Manitoba promised transparency and child safety. Our investigation at the @winnipegfreepress.com confirms those promises fall short, leaving disturbing gaps in public information about teacher discipline.
