2023 touching incident involving Craswell was at West Kent School, education minister says
No charges filed in connection with complaint and facts of matter not proven in court
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.
P.E.I.'s education minister has confirmed a 2023 school touching incident involving Matthew Craswell, which was internally investigated and deemed not to be sexual, occurred at West Kent Elementary School in Charlottetown.
Minister of Education and Early Years Robin Croucher revealed that detail in the legislature on Friday.
CBC News had previously established that the 2023 incident happened at a Charlottetown-area school, based on information from sources. The Public Schools Branch would not confirm whether was West Kent, citing privacy concerns.
On Thursday, Croucher was asked in the legislature to specify which Charlottetown school was involved in the situation. He said he would bring back an answer when he was sure he could legally do so.
"The second school that Matthew Craswell taught at was West Kent Elementary," he told the house on Friday.
On April 29, Craswell pleaded guilty to sexually touching a student at Glen Stewart Primary School in Stratford, just east of Charlottetown, in April 2024. He also pleaded guilty to three unrelated child pornography charges.
It was during that court proceeding that a previous incident of touching involving a school, for which Craswell was never charged, was revealed publicly for the first time.
"The Public Schools Branch will be as transparent as we can be to the broader public, but we are also constrained by legal and privacy obligations," the organization said in a statement to CBC News Friday afternoon.
The PSB had previously said the incidents at both schools "occurred during classroom games. The students involved reported Craswell touching them on their arms and stomach."
What is known about the alleged incident
That 2023 situation was known to investigators who analyzed Craswell's digital records in the fall of 2024, scouring thousands of pages of Craswell's online chats.
"During one conversation, [Craswell] alludes to sexually touching three other girls while teaching them," said the court documents presented at the time of his guilty pleas.
"This matter was investigated and the children's parents ultimately declined to allow them to participate in police interviews," said the court document.
Police investigations typically do not proceed unless the people involved are interviewed.
Craswell was never charged for the West Kent incident, and it has not been tested in court.
The PSB has said this situation, like the Glen Stewart incident, was investigated internally and deemed not be sexual in nature, so police and Child Protection were not called at the time.
PSB Director Tracy Beaulieu told CBC News that the incident was brought to light for the organization and connected to the Glen Stewart investigation only when Craswell was charged in August of 2024 — 14 months after the incident at West Kent.
The West Kent principal in June of 2023 was Tracy Ellsworth, who died in 2024.
"We take all complaints very seriously," the PSB said in its statement Friday, adding that the April 29 court proceedings and the agreed statement of facts in the case "have further revealed more information regarding Craswell's motivations that were not revealed at the time of the reports to schools."
It added: "We can also confirm that no new incidents have been reported to the Public Schools Branch since his arrest in August 2024 or the court proceedings on April 29th.
"Our greatest priority is the well-being of our students and families. We want all Island families to know that there are supports in place and, if children are upset by the stories they are hearing in the news or other media, we can help them. Please reach out."
Safety is main priority, minister says
"What has been done to protect the safety of children at West Kent School?" Liberal MLA Gordon McNeilly asked in the legislature moments after Croucher identified the second school Friday.
Croucher repeated what he's been saying in the house for days: The PSB has a new centralized tracking system for staff incidents and the department has implemented new mandatory training for educators and those who work with children in schools.
"Everyone is taking this seriously, okay? Everyone on this side of the House. Everyone in our system. Everyone is hypervigilant right now," Croucher responded.
"Our main priority is the safety of the children in our system."
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
