Alec Johnson
A former substitute teacher is facing 17 felony charges accusing him of sending inappropriate messages to a student.
Alexander Poyner, 32, of Kenosha was charged Feb. 25 in Kenosha County Circuit Court with 14 counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. Each count carries a prison term of up to 3½ years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Poyner was also charged with three counts of exposing a child to harmful descriptions. Each of those charges also carries a prison term of up to 3½ years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000 or both, according to the criminal complaint.
The court denied a request by Poyner's attorney, Benjamin Schwarz, to dismiss 16 of the charges. Schwarz did not respond to a reporter's request for comment.
According to the criminal complaint:
A 15-year-old student at Kenosha Bradford High School reported to school administration Oct. 28, 2024, that they had been receiving concerning messages on Instagram from Poyner, a former substitute teacher in the district. The student had originally reached out to Poyner to ask why he had been fired from teaching at the school. The student said Poyner told them that it was "too bad he was straight and too young" and made references to P. Diddy. Because of these statements, the student stopped messaging with Poyner, the complaint said.
A detective found that the messages sent to the student were "sexual in nature and explicit in content, with many of the messages having a sexual undertone, sexual context, or used in a way that was consistent with 'sexual humor,'" the complaint said.
When questioned by police in November 2024, Poyner admitted it was "probably unprofessional" for him to be communicating with the student. He described his conversations with the student as "dancing around the line" that some would consider "inappropriate." Poyner also said he was ashamed of what he did and said he had no intentions of doing anything sexual with the student and that "he did not intend for the messages to be construed in a sexual manner," the complaint said.
The complaint noted that Poyner was employed at Kenosha Bradford High School as a substitute teacher from October 2020 to April 2024.
He had also been a substitute teacher in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District from September 2021 to October 2024, when he was placed on administrative leave due to an internal investigation alleging misconduct. He resigned nine days after being put on leave, while the investigation was ongoing, superintendent Tarrynce Robinson told police. The district did not immediately respond to a reporter's message.
Poyner also worked in the Nicolet Union High School District in September 2024, the complaint said. According to a statement from the district to a reporter, the district used Poyner as a substitute for four nonconsecutive days in September and October 2024 but stopped using him as a substitute after learning of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. A spokesperson for the DPI said it was investigating Poyner's licensure.
"Based on the information currently available to us, including our conversations with the Kenosha Police Department, it is our understanding that the situation was isolated and does not affect any Nicolet students," the statement said.
In an email to a reporter, Kenosha Unified School District communications officer Tanya Ruder said Poyner resigned in April 2024. Ruder declined to provide further details, calling his resignation "a personnel matter."
Ruder also provided an emailed statement from the district.
"Kenosha Unified is committed to hiring the most qualified teachers and staff to support our students. Our extensive interview process includes thorough reference checks and criminal background checks to ensure we select the best candidates. However, if an individual has not been convicted of a crime and a past employer does not disclose concerning information, there may be no way for us to be aware of their intentions," the district's statement said. "The safety of our students is our top priority. We appreciate those who bring concerns to our attention, as this allows us to conduct thorough investigations in accordance with local and federal laws while adhering to state statutes. We are dedicated to maintaining a safe learning environment and will continue taking all necessary steps to protect our students."
Poyner made an initial court appearance Wednesday, where bail was set at $50,000. He is scheduled for a March 5 preliminary hearing, according to online court records.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12.
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