Manitoba's first appointee assigned to investigate inappropriate conduct by teachers has been let go for working out-of province, the premier says.

Bobbi Taillefer's recent departure as Manitoba's commissioner of teacher professional conduct was the result of a firing, not a resignation as originally reported by the Winnipeg Free Press on Thursday, Premier Wab Kinew said on Friday.

Taillefer investigated and penalized several teachers through disciplinary actions that ranged from reprimands and required training to suspensions, outright dismissal and loss of teaching licences.

The premier also suggested there could be data privacy issues associated with the commissioner working abroad.

The CLOUD (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data) Act, passed by the U.S. in 2018, gives the American government the authority to retrieve data from around the world as long as it is housed on a server owned by a U.S. company.