WOONSOCKET — A 36-year-old mother was arrested after getting entangled in a fight between her 14-year-old daughter and a female cousin at a school bus stop Friday afternoon.

Robin L. Sevigny, of 26 Bernice Ave., was charged with simple assault after she allegedly hit and slapped her niece, and then held the girl down while her daughter punched the girl at the corner of Rockland and South Main streets Friday afternoon.

Sevigny’s daughter was also arrested and charged with simple assault for the incident. Her case has been turned over to the department’s Juvenile Detective Division. Sevigny was released and ordered to appear in Sixth District Court on Thursday.

Sevigny is the wife of Paul Sevigny, who is the former head of the Police Department’s Juvenile Detective Division, Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle said. She and her husband declined to comment last night. She is the third Woonsocket mother accused of helping her daughter in a fight in less than a month. On Jan. 8, two mothers and four 13-year-old girls were arrested for fighting outside of Woonsocket Middle School. The four girls, and another girl who was also involved, were expelled from school in a disciplinary hearing last week.

The police say last week’s fight between the girls — who are both 14 and attend Woonsocket High School — began after a long-simmering dispute over a boy.

According to police reports, the girls had been arguing for several months about the boy, and one of the girls had accused the other of trying to date him. Threats have also been made over the cousins’ Myspace pages, the police said.

Riding the bus on Friday, the girls exchanged words, and the niece told Sevigny’s daughter that she was going to fight her when they got off the bus. Sevigny’s daughter then text messaged her mother asking to be picked up at the bus stop.

When Sevigny’s daughter got off the bus, she went across the street and sat in the back of Sevigny’s SUV while her mother went to talk to her niece. After Sevigny asked the niece what was going on, the girl yelled at Sevigny and pushed her in the chest, according to witness statements.

That prompted the daughter to run across the street and start fighting her cousin, and the two girls punched each other many times, the police said. A witness told authorities that Sevigny also hit and slapped her niece, knocking her to the ground, and then Sevigny held her down while both she and her daughter assaulted her.

Sevigny has denied the charge, and told the police that she only touched the other girl in an attempt to break up the fight. According to police reports, Sevigny also requested a lie detector to proclaim her innocence and told the police that she would never hit a child.

Sevigny, who called the police after the incident, further told authorities that her niece only rode the bus that day to taunt her daughter, and that the girl has harassed Sevigny’s daughter from outside their home.

Woonsocket High School Principal George Nasuti said he was informed of the incident yesterday afternoon, and that neither of the students, who have not been suspended, was in school yesterday. Because the fight occurred outside of school grounds and after school hours, it is unclear what role school administrators will take, Nasuti said.

“I don’t know what responsibilities I have for the students,” he said.

Schools Supt. Maureen B. Macera said she will meet with Nasuti today to discuss the fight. She said the incident is further proof that young people need responsible adult role models in the community.

“I think it’s just very sad and unfortunate that adults are contributing to this conduct by not setting good examples,” she said.

khayes@projo.com