P.E.I. Public Schools Branch adopts sexual misconduct policy for employees

Staff in P.E.I. public schools will receive training this fall as the Public Schools Branch prepares to put its new sexual misconduct policy into practice. The policy sets out how the school system will prevent and respond to sexual misconduct by employees, post-secondary trainees and volunteers. It covers incidents that happen at school, during school [...]

Staff in P.E.I. public schools will receive training this fall as the Public Schools Branch prepares to put its new sexual misconduct policy into practice. The policy sets out how the school system will prevent and respond to sexual misconduct by employees, post-secondary trainees and volunteers. It covers incidents that happen at school, during school activities and through electronic communication.

Kelly Morris, manager of policy and planning with the Public Schools Branch, said the policy is still a work in progress. “We have a lot of work to do ahead of us in terms of creating procedure documents to support staff,” Morris said. The branch will also send information to staff, students and families.

Training and orientation for staff will begin as schools reopen in early September. Morris said the training will include written information, in-person sessions with school administrators and videos. Complaint process The new policy comes after the Public Schools Branch has faced increased scrutiny and criticism from parents, over how cases of sexual misconduct in public schools have been handled.

Two recent court cases involved school staff sexually abusing young people in their care. Matthew Craswell was convicted of two charges of sexually touching students at Glen Stewart Primary School in 2024 and West Kent Elementary School in 2023 while working as a substitute teacher, as well as to charges of possessing, distributing, and creating child sexual abuse and exploitation material. Bethany Toombs was convicted of sexual interference for abusing a student under the age of 16 during her work as a school counsellor.

The new policy includes a four-step complaint process. A complaint can be made in person, by phone, by email, in writing or through a complaint form. It is then reviewed to decide whether it falls under the sexual misconduct policy.

If it does, an investigation team of at least two people will investigate before the Public Schools Branch makes a final decision. Morris said the branch will accept complaints in any form. “However we get it, we will respond,” she said.

Morris also added that police and Child Protection Services come first when required. She said the branch will begin its own investigation once it knows it will not interfere with an investigation by police or child protection. Duty to report Under the policy, all Public Schools Branch employees must report to police and Child Protection Services if they witness sexual misconduct, receive information about it or have reason to believe it has happened or may happen.

The policy also focuses on preventing sexual misconduct before it happens. It includes training on grooming behaviour and professional boundaries. Morris said that part of the policy is new for the branch.

The policy took more than a year to develop, she said. The branch consulted parents, students, staff, the public, government departments and community organizations. “It was more extensive than any other policy the PSB has ever consulted on,” Morris said.

Families and students will receive more information in September about how to make a complaint and what to do if a concern comes up. Director leaving role The Guardian also asked the Department of Education for an interview but did not get a response from the department by deadline. The Guardian has confirmed the director of PSB, Tracy Beaulieu, will be leaving her role.

The PSB told The Guardian via email that her contract was due to end in August. She has told the board of trustees, the minister of education and early years, and staff that she will not seek an extension. The email said that the PSB and its board of trustees have started the process of finding the next director.

Beaulieu is expected to support the transition before her term ends.