Substitute's touching kids at P.E.I. schools not believed to be sexual at the time, says PSB
Court documents revealed Craswell continued teaching after incidents reported
WARNING: This story contains disturbing descriptions of child sex abuse. Resources and supports for anyone who has experienced sexual violence can be found at the bottom of this story.
Two incidents of substitute teacher Matthew Alan Craswell inappropriately touching students at different P.E.I. elementary schools "were believed to be non-sexual in nature" at the time, the province's Public Schools Branch said in an email to parents late Thursday evening.
"These incidents were reported by different elementary schools about eight months apart (June 2023 and April 2024) and occurred during classroom games. The students involved reported Craswell touching them on their arms and stomach," reads the letter from PSB director Tracy Beaulieu.
"Following the investigations, and based on the information available at that time, these incidents were believed to be non-sexual in nature.... With the new information revealed during the court proceedings, it is now clear that the incidents were sexual in nature, contrary to what was initially believed."
The PSB later clarified the two incidents were investigated separately, and the people who looked into the 2024 case didn't know about the 2023 incident.
The email addressed to all parents and guardians comes after it was revealed in court this week that Craswell continued working after sexually touching a student at Glen Stewart Primary School in Stratford, P.E.I.
The court documents revealed Craswell bragged about his sexually abusive behaviour online and wrote about sexually touching three other girls while teaching them.
We all have every right to be disturbed and heartbroken. Our commitment to you is to ensure our processes are improved to keep your children safe, and to maintain open and transparent communication.— Letter from PSB director Tracy Beaulieu
The PSB told CBC News that no one was available for an interview Friday, and it was instead focusing on parents and staff.
According to the agreed statement of facts, Craswell boasted about touching a child's nipples, saying, "I could just tell that if she was mine or I got to see her often, like a babysitting situation or something, that things would go very far and she'd be into it. As long as I went slow."
Craswell admitted to touching the child "and that the purpose of that touching was sexual," according to the documents.
'Disturbed and heartbroken'
Craswell, 40, was first charged last summer with possession and distribution of child pornography after the U.S.-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged his internet activity.
New information came to light during the RCMP investigation, details of which were shared in court Tuesday as Craswell pleaded guilty to four charges related to child sex abuse images and the incident where he sexually touched a young girl in a classroom in front of other students.
The court documents indicate school officials were made aware of that incident but it was not reported to police and Craswell continued to work in schools with older children after the Public Schools Branch was informed.
Few details about the June 2023 incident have been made public. The PSB confirmed in its letter it was a different school than Glen Stewart Primary. Multiple sources have told CBC News it took place at a Charlottetown school.
The court documents indicate that investigation didn't continue because the parents didn't want their children to be interviewed by police.
In its email to parents on Thursday, the PSB confirmed that Craswell worked off and on, primarily in high schools, until the end of the 2023-24 school year. He was suspended from teaching at all schools in the province after he was arrested on Aug. 9 on child pornography charges. Those charges are not related to the incidents that took place at P.E.I. schools.
If an extradition request is received by Canada from a foreign state, it is considered a confidential state-to-state communication, and the Department of Justice would not discuss it.— Federal Department of Justice
All the schools where Craswell had worked were contacted after his arrest, according to the email, and the PSB said it isn't aware of any other incidents.
"Like you, we are deeply upset and concerned about the information that has come out through the legal process involving former substitute teacher Matthew Craswell. Through the court proceedings, we are learning the whole truth about his horrible actions," the email reads.
"We all have every right to be disturbed and heartbroken. Our commitment to you is to ensure our processes are improved to keep your children safe, and to maintain open and transparent communication."
Extradition requests considered confidential
The court documents also revealed that Craswell was the subject of an extradition request from South Korea in relation to allegations that he had committed a voyeurism offence when living there in September of 2018.
Craswell would have been required to pass a vulnerable sector check before he began working with the PSB and then every two years after that. The RCMP have said the allegation from officials in South Korea likely would not have come up.
In an email to CBC News late Thursday evening, the federal Department of Justice said an extradition request would be considered "a confidential state-to-state communication" and the department could neither confirm or deny the existence of an extradition request unless the request itself was making its way through the courts.
It remains unclear whether this is information that could have come up on a vulnerable sector check completed in Prince Edward Island. Court documents show P.E.I. RCMP had access to the information when preparing a search warrant for Craswell's parents' Cornwall home in July of 2024.
On Thursday, the PSB said it plans to push for the RCMP and other policing services to expand vulnerable sector checks to include inter-provincial and international records — including, but not limited to, extradition orders.
"Based on what we know now, Matthew Craswell should never have passed his background check."
Central tracking system
On Thursday, the PSB also announced it had implemented a province-wide tracking system of incidents and reports of misconduct at Island schools. Previously, there had been no centralized monitoring of reported incidents.
It also remains unclear if the PSB had connected the June 2023 and April 2024 incidents prior to Craswell's guilty pleas this week.
"Schools are meant to be safe spaces for all students to learn, and this situation has shaken the faith of many in our communities that we can deliver on that promise. Every student has the right to a safe environment while they learn at our schools. And the fact that even one student was placed in a situation that made them uncomfortable and that was inappropriate, breaks our hearts," the email read.
"Our staff pride themselves on working with students to help them become well-equipped for a successful future in our communities. Changing the system takes time but we will work tirelessly to rebuild your trust in us to protect, teach, and guide your children."
The Craswell case came up in the legislature for the third consecutive day on Friday. Premier Rob Lantz, who took office in February and previously served as education minister beginning in October 2024, reiterated a promise to launch an independent investigation into how Craswell was allowed to continue teaching.
The premier's office also sent a statement about the matter to CBC News late Friday afternoon.
There has been considerable public attention and concern regarding the circumstances of the Craswell case, and it is important that Islanders have clarity on the steps being taken.— Statement from Premier Rob Lantz's office
"There has been considerable public attention and concern regarding the circumstances of the Craswell case, and it is important that Islanders have clarity on the steps being taken," it said.
"An independent review will be conducted to examine what occurred, including an audit of the complaints and records process, and determine what must be done to prevent a situation like this from happening again. The review will identify where systems failed and include recommendations to strengthen them. Government is committed to implementing those recommendations.
"The review and its recommendations will be made public."
The province also announced it had implemented mandatory training around preventing sexual abuse for teachers and others who work with kids in the school system last month, before the court documents were released.
There are resources and supports available to anyone who has experienced sexual violence:
- Victim Services P.E.I. / Queens and Kings County: 902-368-4582; Prince County: 902-888-8218
- Rise P.E.I. / Phone or text: 902-218-6143
- P.E.I. Rape and Sexual Assault Centre / Call: 902-368-8055 or 1-888-368-8055
- Here is a list of sexual assault centres, crisis lines and support services elsewhere in Canada.
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