By a 2-1 ruling, the court said the board must rehire electronics teacher Jean-Alix Miguel, who pleaded guilty to the 1990 beating death of his common-law wife, the Globe and Mail reported.

He served seven years in prison, and then was hired by the board in 1998, but did not answer the question on the job application about having a criminal record, the report said.

His past came to light in 2004, and he was fired. However, an arbitrator ruled he had undergone treatment for mental illness and served his time, the report said.

The board appealed, saying lying on a job application was grounds for dismissal, but the three-judge court panel disagreed, saying Miguel's prison time and treatment meant he poses no risk to students or colleagues, the newspaper said.