Education minister’s reasons for revoking teacher’s licence ‘not good enough,’ judge decides

A Manitoba judge has dismissed the education minister's justification for stripping a teacher of his career rights, as he was found guilty of engaging in inappropriate online conversations with a 13-year-old girl. The ruling came after the judge deemed the minister's reasons as "simply not good enough." The teacher, Robert Hrabluk, a longtime music instructor with over two decades of experience, had his professional license taken away on June 3, 2025.

Hrabluk had appealed a lesser penalty, which the education minister later admitted was an "administrative error." The judge praised Hrabluk's lengthy and spotless career, the benign nature of his communications, and the mistake that led to the initial five-day unpaid suspension. The teacher's legal representatives argued that the decision emphasized the need for fairness and logic in such matters.

Hrabluk's case was processed under the previous disciplinary system, which gave the education minister the authority to refer incidents to a certificate review committee. The committee ultimately decided to cancel his license based on a balance of probabilities that he had violated division policies and crossed professional boundaries.