A former Ponaganset High School physical education teacher has been indicted on two felony counts of third-degree sexual assault after investigators said she pursued a sexual relationship with a student and met him for sexual contact away from school.
The defendant, Alisha Crins, 39, of Cranston, resigned from the Foster-Glocester Regional School District in October 2025, and the case has continued to build since then through the Rhode Island State Police and the attorney general’s office. The indictment pushes the case into Superior Court, where Crins is scheduled to be arraigned March 18 in Providence County. Prosecutors have not detailed the evidence publicly, but the allegations have stirred debate in the small district about communication with families as the investigation unfolded and the teacher left her job.
According to local reports that cited the attorney general’s office, the alleged assaults occurred between April 1 and June 30, 2024, and investigators said the conduct took place in Cranston after a review of records. The state criminal database listed an offense date of April 1, 2024, and prosecutors alleged there were multiple incidents during the spring window. The former student, who later graduated from Ponaganset, filed a formal complaint with state police in October 2025, setting off an investigation by the State Police Special Victims Unit. State police said at the time that they were working in coordination with the attorney general and would not release further details because the inquiry was active. Crins resigned on Oct. 1, 2025, district officials have said, and a Providence County grand jury returned the two-count indictment that was filed Feb. 27, with the arraignment date set weeks later.
Accounts of an affidavit described by multiple news outlets say the former student told investigators the relationship began while he was still in school, starting with compliments and private messages that became flirtatious and then sexual. The student said the teacher obtained his personal cellphone number and kept in touch through text messages and social media, including after school hours. He told police the contact later moved off campus, including meetings near Crins’ home in Cranston. In one encounter, the student said Crins warned him, “You can’t tell anybody,” before kissing him, according to the affidavit account. He later described a second meeting in which she climbed into the back seat of his vehicle and initiated additional sexual contact, while he told investigators there was no intercourse. Reports said investigators also reviewed message exchanges that included sexually explicit photos and videos, some of them sent after the student turned 18. In interviews summarized in those reports, Crins admitted she sent explicit images and acknowledged at least one kiss, but denied having sex with the student.
The school district has said it is cooperating but has shared few specifics while the criminal case proceeds. In a statement carried by local television, the Foster-Glocester Regional School District said it had previously confirmed that Crins worked as a physical education teacher and “resigned on October 1, 2025.” The district added that it was following guidance from the Rhode Island State Police and cooperating with authorities “in a confidential manner,” and said inquiries should be directed to state police. Some parents told reporters they felt blindsided and wanted clearer updates about safety steps taken at the high school once administrators learned of the complaint. Others said they understood that student privacy laws and an active criminal investigation could limit what officials could say publicly. The district has not identified the former student, and police have not released details that would make him identifiable or describe his age at the time of the alleged encounters.
Crins had also been connected to the district’s Health and Fitness/EMT career and technical program and previously worked in the North Smithfield School District, according to local news accounts. As the state investigation began in October 2025, a parent-led petition circulated that called for an independent internal review of how the district handled reports of staff conduct and student safety. The petition organizer told a local news site that respondents described the alleged relationship as widely known among students and staff, though those claims have not been tested in court. At the same time, district leaders said they had received no formal complaints before early October and said they were instructed to keep the matter confidential while state police investigated. School committee leaders wrote in a statement during the early weeks of the probe that it was “frustrating” that more could not be shared publicly, but said they had been told the state police investigation had to take precedence. The dispute over transparency has continued as the criminal case moved from investigation to indictment.
Under Rhode Island law, third-degree sexual assault can apply when an adult engages in sexual contact or sexual penetration with a person under 18 while holding supervisory or disciplinary authority, including as a teacher, and the statute also covers sexual penetration with a person under 16. The charge is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Crins faces two counts, and prosecutors must still present evidence to support each count beyond a reasonable doubt. At arraignment, a judge typically informs a defendant of the charges, addresses conditions of release and issues scheduling orders that govern how evidence is exchanged. The case can also include motions about whether parts of text messages, social media posts or other records can be used in court, and whether any statements to investigators are admissible. Local reports said a pretrial conference is scheduled for May 13, a step that often helps a court map out deadlines and decide whether the case is headed toward trial, a plea agreement, or additional hearings.
In the Foster-Glocester community, the case has become a painful public discussion about trust in schools and how a district responds when allegations involve a staff member and a student. “I think it’s terrible,” resident Sam Potter told local television, calling it a betrayal of trust between students and teachers. Parents and residents interviewed by local television said they planned to attend a school committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday to press for answers about policies, reporting channels and what administrators knew as the state inquiry moved forward. Some community members said they wanted to hear how the district handles boundaries for staff contact with students outside school hours and what training is provided for employees who work in athletics, health and fitness programs. State police have said little publicly about the evidence they collected, but they have described the matter as an ongoing investigation and have asked anyone with information to contact the Special Victims Unit.
Crins remains charged but has not entered a plea in open court. Her next court date is March 18 in Providence County Superior Court, and the May 13 conference is scheduled as prosecutors and defense attorneys begin preparing for the next phase and the court considers future hearing dates. Court records did not list a trial date as of Tuesday.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.