PSB says it only connected Craswell incidents in P.E.I. schools after his 1st arrest

The director of P.E.I.’s Public Schools Branch, Tracy Beaulieu, recently revealed in an interview with CBC News that only two incidents involving Matthew Alan Craswell were connected by the organization after he was arrested on unrelated child pornography charges last summer. Craswell, a substitute teacher, pleaded guilty to sexual touching at Stratford’s Glen Stewart Primary and child pornography offences.

Beaulieu explained that after learning about the charges against Craswell, they conducted an internal investigation and found that there was a previous incident in April 2024. Following this discovery, they notified the police. Craswell initially faced child pornography charges related to possession and distribution after images depicting child sex abuse were flagged by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The first known report of Craswell’s behavior was in June 2023 at a Charlottetown-area elementary school. Despite an investigation, no charges were laid due to lack of evidence of malicious intent. However, further details emerged last fall after Craswell’s devices were seized, revealing that he had boasted about sexually touching three girls while teaching them. Police contacted the girls’ families, but the investigation did not proceed as the parents decided not to allow their children to be interviewed by the police.

In the incident at Glen Stewart Primary, a parent reported the incident to the school’s principal, leading to an investigation by the Public Schools Branch. Beaulieu emphasized that their investigations found no evidence of sexual intent behind the incidents where Craswell touched students on their stomach and legs. Nevertheless, changes have been implemented, including a centralized tracking system for staff complaints and mandatory training for all school staff on child protection.

Following the internal investigation in April 2024, Craswell was only allowed to teach older children due to his background and experience, not because of the reported incident at Glen Stewart. Beaulieu stressed that if there had been any suspicion of criminal intent, Craswell would not have been allowed to teach in the system.

The Public Schools Branch has also engaged in conversations with child protection and police services to ensure appropriate training and understanding in handling such matters. The organization is committed to regaining the trust of Island families and implementing necessary changes to prevent individuals like Craswell from slipping through the cracks in the future.

Overall, Beaulieu emphasized that accountability lies with Craswell, and the focus is on preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future. Resources and support are available for anyone who has experienced sexual violence, and the organization is open to suggestions for further improvements in their policies and procedures to protect students.