Daycare worker in Van Buren arrested after sexual incident between two minors in her classroom

 Jordan Criswell

A teacher at Little Blessings Daycare in Van Buren has been arrested on charges related to failure to report child maltreatment and endangering the welfare of a minor, stemming from a disturbing incident of alleged sexual abuse between two young children in her classroom.

The suspect has been identified as Jordan Criswell

.According to court documents obtained from Arkansas Court Connect (Case No. CR-2025-XXXX in Crawford County Circuit Court), the incident occurred in a preschool classroom at the facility located on Alma Boulevard.

Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives shows a young boy repeatedly exposing himself to a female classmate, pulling down her pants, touching her private areas against her protests, and engaging in other inappropriate behaviors, including forcing her to smell his hand after the contact.

The video also captures the boy using a marker in a suggestive manner while the girl attempts to escape and alert the teacher.

The affidavit details that Criswell was observed on her cell phone throughout the episode.

She briefly looked up to yell "stop it" after the girl reported the behavior but then returned to her device, failing to intervene or document the incident. No immediate action was taken by the daycare staff, and the girl's parent was not notified until the following day when the child disclosed the events at home.

The parent promptly reported the matter to the daycare's board director, identified in records as Michael Jones. Jones allegedly reviewed the footage independently and confirmed the incident but characterized it as "two kids curious of each other."

He issued a write-up to Criswell but declined to terminate her, citing her status as "the best teacher in the building" and noting that a newer employee would have been fired immediately.

The boy faced no disciplinary action, expulsion, or suspension, and remained at the facility

.Court filings reveal further complications: the girl was moved to a different classroom, but the children continued to share recess time, leading to additional complaints of the boy chasing and following her. When confronted, Jones reportedly dismissed the claims, stating he had instructed staff to monitor them.

He suggested reassigning the girl to a non-graduating class in a separate building as a solution, which the parent rejected as unfair.

The police report, included in the court docket, notes that Jones told investigators he did not report the incident to authorities because it involved preschool-aged children and he did not deem it "serious" enough, contrasting it with how he would handle older students.

However, CPS and detectives, after reviewing the video, classified the event as sexual abuse. The report also mentions a subsequent incident where the same boy attempted to expose himself to another girl on the playground, prompting his parents to withdraw him voluntarily after feeling their son was being "sexualized" by the staff's response.

Criswell's arrest warrant was issued by the Crawford County Prosecuting Attorney's Office following a thorough investigation, including witness statements and video evidence.

She was taken into custody eon Wednesday and released on bond. Charges include Class A misdemeanor failure to report child maltreatment under Arkansas Code § 12-18-201 and endangering the welfare of a minor. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 2026.

In a statement to authorities, Jones emphasized his handling of the situation, including separating the children and disciplining the teacher. However, the parent alleges a pattern of minimization and lack of transparency, noting that multiple staff viewed the video without reporting it, violating mandatory reporting laws for childcare workers.

This case has drawn scrutiny to Little Blessings Daycare, a licensed facility serving Van Buren families. Arkansas Department of Human Services records show the center has no prior violations listed, but advocates for child safety are calling for a review of its policies.

The parent, who has since removed their child from the facility, expressed frustration in court filings over the lack of accountability. Efforts to bring the story to local media were met with caution due to the involvement of minors, but the public arrest has now brought details to light

.As the case proceeds, authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact the Van Buren Police Department or CPS hotline.