iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Not sure how this must-win discourse entered the conversation, that might have been Lyss just joking around. Certainly not a must-win but a solid two points that will be needed come April. They held on there for a bit.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Public service journalism matters. My investigation into Manitoba's broken teacher oversight system, Classroom Confidential, is a 2025 Michener Award finalist. Grateful to those who shared their stories and the Free Press for the support. Read it here: www.winnipegfreepress.com/story-tags/c...

winnipegfreepress.com

Classroom confidential – Winnipeg Free Press

Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

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 www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

winnipegfreepress.com

Manitoba's first teacher misconduct commissioner resigns suddenly

The head of Manitoba’s year-old teacher misconduct registry has abruptly resigned after questions were raised about her working remotely in Florida over the winter. Education minister Tracy Schmidt co...

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

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: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

winnipegfreepress.com

Family says teen re-victimized by Manitoba school’s lax response after reporting sexual assault

With its soft lighting and cosy couches, the classroom hangout at the River East-Transcona School Division high school is supposed to be a safe space for students to decompress. But that changed one M...

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

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: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

winnipegfreepress.com

Family says teen re-victimized by Manitoba school’s lax response after reporting sexual assault

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

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?”

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

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. www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

winnipegfreepress.com

Manitoba educator slipped through the system without proper credentials until sex-related charges surfaced

To parents, students and football leagues of Manitoba, Braeden Martens was a trusted authority figure. But to Manitoba

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Reposted by Jeff Hamilton

Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

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...

winnipegfreepress.com

Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished

On the surface, David Wray was the perfect teacher. Charismatic and approachable, he never wasted an opportunity to socialize with parents before the morning bell. He was creative, too, reaching kids....

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

winnipegfreepress.com

Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished

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Reposted by Jeff Hamilton

Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) @cajournalists.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

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: beeid.org/4865fb8ea86e

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

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...

winnipegfreepress.com

Child protection experts say Manitoba’s new teacher registry conceals more than it reveals

Despite promises that a new teacher registry launched at the start of the year would enhance transparency within the education system and improve children’s safety, critics have dismissed it as weak, ...

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

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.

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Jeff Hamilton @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

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.

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