Providence school administrator with previous history of ‘toe popping’, charged with simple assault and battery

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- An administrator for Providence Schools was placed on administrative leave and set to appear in court on Thursday after being charged with simple assault and battery in Warwick.

Olayinka Alege was hired by the district this past summer. The district’s website lists him as the “network superintendent of secondary schools.”

​”Upon being informed of recent allegations against Dr. Alege, the district placed him on administrative leave. As a district, we hold our staff, school leaders and administrators to the highest of standards and take any allegation extremely seriously,” ​a spokesperson for Providence Public Schools told ABC6 on Tuesday.

Court records show Alege was charged with simple assault and battery by the Warwick Police Department on April 20. The charges were filed May 10.

Before working in Providence, Alege worked for Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa.

Students in Tampa had previously complained about Alege’s “unusual” punishments.

According to a report from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in 2009,”Five boys told deputies that King High assistant principal Olayinka Alege asked them on numerous occasions to take off a shoe and sock behind closed doors, and allow him to ‘pop’ their toes.”