Former Ponaganset teacher charged with sexually assaulting student

GLOCESTER, R.I. — A grand jury has indicted a former physical education teacher at Ponaganset High School on two counts of third-degree sexual assault following an investigation by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and Rhode Island State Police

Alisha Crins, 39, is accused of engaging in inappropriate conduct with a former male student between April 1 and June 30, 2024, according to court records.

Investigators say the case began after the student, who graduated last spring, filed a formal complaint in October. Authorities allege the relationship included flirty messages that escalated to sexually explicit texts, photos and videos. The student also told police the two kissed on two occasions.

Court documents state Crins admitted to sending explicit photos and discussing a possible sexual relationship once the student became a legal adult but denied that the relationship became fully physical beyond the contact described.

Crins resigned from the Foster-Glocester Regional School District on October 1, 2025. School officials previously said they are cooperating with authorities and have referred inquiries to state police due to the active investigation.

She is scheduled to be arraigned March 18 at Providence County Superior Court.