The Toronto public school board has fired a teacher who, while on medical leave, campaigned for the federal election in Quebec and worked at a Montreal school. It is also demanding she return her pay.

Late Friday afternoon, the Toronto District School Board wrapped up its investigation into Roseline Dorcin, who was supposed to start teaching a Grade 3-4 French immersion class at Earl Haig Public School this year but never showed up because she was on medical leave.

“Following the conclusion of our investigation into alleged sick leave abuse, a decision has been made to proceed with termination of this employee,” said TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird.

“We are continuing with steps to ensure any pay that was received improperly will be returned and the events that resulted in the termination will be reported to the Ontario College of Teachers.”

The Star attempted to reach Dorcin and the teachers union late on Friday for comment, but did not hear back.

At the TDSB, she went by the name Christine Dorcin, but her full name, according to the Ontario College of Teachers, is Roseline Marie-Christine Aline Dorcin. Teachers’ collective agreements entitle them to 11 sick days at 100 per cent of their salary, and 120 short-term leave and disability plan days at 90 per cent of their salary.

The Star first wrote about Dorcin last month, detailing the frustrations of parents of Earl Haig students who were supposed to be in Dorcin’s class, but by mid-October were still being taught by a supply teacher. In mid-September, a group of parents curious about Dorcin’s whereabouts discovered social media accounts under her name that said she was living in Montreal, was looking for a career change and had run for an NDP nomination.

They immediately took their concerns to the principal, superintendent, trustees and the board’s director, triggering an investigation. But weeks passed and parents grew increasingly frustrated because the board wouldn’t provide a full-time teacher and the stability this would afford to their children.

Dorcin’s postings from the spring suggest she was in a serious vehicle crash and photos of her in June show her with a cast on her lower right arm. Other photos posted throughout the summer show her at events in the Montreal riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, where she unsuccessfully ran for the NDP nomination on Sept. 6, three days after school had started.

After the story was published, the supply teacher covering for Dorcin at Earl Haig, near Danforth and Coxwell avenues, was hired full-time. Then came another revelation in late October: that Dorcin, still on medical leave, was teaching at St. Monica Elementary School in Montreal.

The English Montreal School Board was surprised to hear from a Star reporter that one of its teachers was on medical leave from the TDSB, but would not comment further. When the TDSB learned Dorcin was teaching in Montreal, her sick leave pay was suspended pending the outcome of its investigation, which came to a close Friday. As for the length of the investigation, the TDSB has said that given the burden of proof the board faces in any employee-related investigation, it had to follow a detailed process.

On Friday evening, Montreal board spokesperson Michael Cohen said, “We are still not in a position to comment.”

In the past month, the Star has reached out repeatedly to Dorcin for comment. On one occasion, she responded, saying, “I’ve been advised not to comment to reporters, but you’ll hear my side of the story.” Subsequent messages to her went unanswered.

The Ontario College of Teachers, which licenses, governs and regulates 240,000 teachers, will investigate the matter, which is common practice when it receives a complaint or a teacher is fired. If a matter is referred to a discipline committee there is a public hearing. And if found guilty of professional misconduct, or to be incompetent, a member may have their teaching licence revoked or suspended, or have conditions placed on it.

One mother whose child was supposed to be in Dorcin’s class at Earl Haig, and who was among those parents to sound the alarm, was pleased to hear of Dorcin’s termination.

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“We’ve been looking for a resolution from the TDSB since September,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified to protect the identity of her child.

“It’s unfortunate it took this amount of parental pressure and attention from the media to get the TDSB to act. Our kids deserve better.”