Former Old Colony teacher accused of raping student gets new court date

WAREHAM — A former Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School teacher accused of raping a student has received a new date to return to court.

Andre Arsenault appeared in Wareham District Court Thursday, May 2 on charges of rape and indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or over — offenses allegedly committed towards an Old Colony student, according to reports.

During the court appearance, a probable cause hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, June 5.

A former culinary arts teacher at Old Colony, Arsenault had pleaded not guilty March 12 to the two charges following his arrest at his Wareham workplace.

According to a criminal complaint issued March 11, the alleged offenses were committed in October 2022 — while Arsenault, 35, was a teacher at Old Colony.

The alleged victim was an Old Colony student, according to a police report obtained by WCVB. That report has since been impounded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 2099 and is no longer publicly available.

The Massachusetts State Police rejected March 20 a public records request for the police report of Arsenault’s arrest.

According to WCVB reporting, the alleged victim said Arsenault “was groping her almost every day at school” and that “she was raped during her senior year.”

If found guilty, Arsenault’s charges carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in state prison and registration as a sex offender upon conviction.

Arsenault’s attorney, James Morse, could not be reached for comment.