Brief
Manitoba panel bars Chinese‑Canadian teacher over repeated boundary‑crossing with student
The decision follows a July hearing that included video evidence of the teacher embracing a student.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A Manitoba disciplinary panel has permanently cancelled the teaching certificate of Janice Wen Ying Ma, a Chinese‑Canadian educator, citing repeated boundary‑crossing conduct with a student.
Ma, who taught art at Clifford International School in Guangzhou, China during the 2024‑25 school year, was barred from teaching in Manitoba as of Sept. 14, the panel said. The 22‑page decision, chaired by public representative Gordon Schumacher, found Ma engaged in inappropriate physical interaction and exchanged "emotionally intimate online messages" with a girl student.
The panel’s ruling references a videoconference hearing held on July 21, the first of its kind to be streamed publicly. Security footage shown at the hearing captured the teacher and the student embracing for about 15 seconds before entering a secluded room, after which Ma exited through a back door when another adult arrived.
Ma was initially hired at the Manitoba‑accredited school overseas two years earlier and was dismissed in May 2025 after a colleague reported a secret meeting with the student. The hearing also noted that Ma told the student to delete messages and later contacted her despite being directed not to.
Key facts
- Janice Wen Ying Ma's teaching certificate was cancelled permanently (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The panel decision became effective on Sept. 14, 2026 (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Ma taught art at Clifford International School in Guangzhou during 2024‑25 (winnipegfreepress.com)
- A public videoconference hearing was held on July 21, 2026 (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Security footage showed Ma and the student embracing for about 15 seconds (winnipegfreepress.com)
Timeline
- 2024-09-01 — Ma began teaching art at Clifford International School in Guangzhou
- 2025-05-01 — Ma was dismissed after a colleague reported a secret meeting with a student
- 2026-07-21 — Public videoconference hearing presented security footage
- 2026-09-14 — Certificate cancellation took effect
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Teacher barred for ‘repeated boundary-crossing conduct’”
