07/23/2026
Independent Investigation by Retired Federal Judge Found No Evidence That School Knew About Alleged Inappropriate Conduct Between a Former Teacher and Student at Ponaganset High School
The Foster Glocester Regional School District is publicly sharing the findings of the independent investigation conducted by retired Federal Judge William E. Smith regarding an alleged inappropriate relationship between a former teacher Alisha Crins and a student at Ponaganset High School. Judge Smith explicitly affirmed that “...after an extensive review, I have found no credible evidence that any administrator, teacher, staff, or coach with whom I spoke knew any information about the suspected conduct at issue that would have given rise to a duty to report to DCYF; nor did I find any information to suggest that any of these individuals suspected, or should have suspected, something inappropriate about the relationship” (page 6).
The Judge identified several important strengths, beginning with the deep dedication by administrators, teachers and staff, noting that they love their school and are devastated by this situation, and reaffirmed their primary responsibility is to protect and nurture children in the school (page 2). The report commended the immediate and decisive actions taken by Superintendent Dr. Renee Palazzo upon learning of inappropriate communications, noting swiftly placing the employee on leave and prompt convening of all appropriate stakeholders, including legal counsel, Human Resource/Title IX coordinator, principal, union president, local police, Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) (page 8-9). Judge Smith highlights the balancing of reporting obligations with the victim’s family’s desire for a degree of confidentiality, commending district leadership actions (page 9). The Judge validated the recent addition of Alyssa Nappa as a full time HR/ Title IX position indicating she is a valuable resource to school leaders and the protocols have improved under her supervision (page 9).
Furthermore, the report concludes that high school principal Amanda Grundel did not have any information of inappropriate conduct that she failed to act upon (page 11). To add to that, the report highlights the administrations’ enforcement of policies and laws when a parallel misconduct situation arose at roughly the same time, where Principal Grundel informed Dr. Palazzo and Mrs.Nappa (page 19). The report emphasizes the fast response and robust Title IX process when a credible complaint is brought to school administrators (page 27).
In summary, some recommendations include working with parents, students and staff to strengthen the systems we have in place to report concerns. The report acknowledges that protecting students requires continuous vigilance, transparent communication and active partnerships across the entire community to ensure the schools remain a safe and supportive environment. The exhaustive, comprehensive, independent review conducted over an eight week span, reassures the community of the district’s commitment to student protection and compliance with all applicable laws and policies (pg. 9). We want to thank Judge Smith for his diligence in completing this extensive investigation. See full report here:
