CPD Charges Teaching Assistant for 2024 Tiogue Student Assault

COVENTRY, RI — A teaching assistant will be arraigned for a Tiogue student assault in Third District Court Jan. 22.

On Dec. 13, Coventry Police officers responded to Tiogue Elementary School, 170 East Shore Drive, to investigate an allegation that a school employee had previously assaulted a student. At the conclusion of the investigation, Petrina Lunardelli, 48, of Coventry, R.I., was charged with Simple Assault/Battery (R.I.G.L. 11-5-3), police reported in release distributed to media and social media.

Lunardelli turned herself in to the Coventry Police Department to be processed. Coventry Police subsequently released her on a 3rd District Court Summons for the Jan. 22 court arraignment at 9 a.m.

Tiogue student assault reported Dec. 13, Teaching Assistant resigned Dec.20

According to Superintendent Don Cowart, Coventry Public Schools were alerted to an incident at Tiogue School and contacted DCYF and Coventry Police.  The employee was put on leave the same day as the report, Dec. 13, and resigned from Coventry Public Schools on Dec. 20, 2024.

“The police investigation was handled by Coventry Police and the school department cooperated fully.  We take all matters seriously especially when they involve the well-being of our students,” Cowart wrote.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Lunardelli had been a teaching assistant with Coventry Public Schools since 2017. Lunardelli did not immediately respond to a request for comment.