Former students alleged that Thomas had on multiple occasions asked students to strip naked in front of him behind closed doors for body fat checks. The School Committee responded with a statement about the uniquely challenging time that didnt directly answer the questions from attendees. He adamantly denies any criminal conduct whatsoever, MacDonald said to reporters. WebProfessional learning, development and growth Collaborate with coach, grade-level chair and school team to improve instructional, culture-building and leadership skills. John MacDonald, Thomas lawyer, confirmed that a lawyer for the former student athletes, Timothy Conlon, had filed a writ of replevin a type of legal action that seeks to have someone return something that belongs to someone else. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Former North Kingstown High School boys basketball coach Aaron Thomas is facing accusations of misconduct, with former players alleging that he asked them to strip naked behind closed doors, for body fat checks. Read more. Lunar time zone push begins, Hate your signature? Updated: Mar 1, 2023 / 02:17 PM EST. Elizabeth Parvo-Brown The new allegations are separate from the ongoing criminal investigation of Aaron Thomas, a former North Kingstown high school boys basketball coach who Outside the courthouse, Thomas walked away quickly with criminal lawyer John L. Calcagni, as his criminal lawyer, John MacDonald, spoke on his behalf. After several months, they determined that no criminal charges could be brought against the former coach. How Aaron Thomas normalized taking teen boys into a closet or his office alone, and getting them to undress for purported body fat tests that involved him touching close to their groin and having them do stretches naked. New Block Island police chief addresses chaotic summer, goals for the future, No charges filed against Barrington daycare accused of giving children melatonin gummies, UPS employee detained for third time on drug trafficking charges, Driver seriously injured in crash on Route 24, Local schools closed or delayed because of winter weather, Accurate Converter in Providence under federal investigation, Rhode Island State Police arrest 2 in Providence after traffic stop, Fall River woman previously charged in 2020 love triangle murder apprehended, Live Weather Cams - Providence, Rhode Island. Read more. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Jessica de la Cruz, would eliminate a loophole in Rhode Island that allows those with supervisory or disciplinary power like coaches, teachers, and priests to have sexual relations with minors between 14 and 18 years old. (401) 268-6261, Clinic Main Line: (401) 268-6278 NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. When the boys began. Several weeks later, Hague said, then-athletic director Dick Fossa told him that the issue had been addressed. Dempsey said he hopes the school will hire someone on his staff, but hell stay out of the process as he begins to transition from high school football coach to a possible future on a recreation sports sideline. Aaron Thomas, 54, resigned as a coach and teacher at North Kingstown in June and was hired at Monsignor Clarke School in Wakefield as a teacher for the 2021 Superintendent Michael Waterman said in a letter to the school community that he was responding to, Conlon also sent the letter to Assistant US Attorney Kevin L. Hubbard, who is working on. (401) 268-6289 And, the lawsuit also alleges that Thomas is not the only coach at North Kingstown who has been allowed to abuse a position of power. Among other things, those tests included getting into various positions naked and during the course of some of them, Thomas was pressing on the inside of my groin with his thumbs, a former student-athlete, identified only as John Doe #22 said in a statement included in the report. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) It was a busy morning for first responders in North Kingstown on Wednesday. Concerned residents protest outside the North Kingstown school district central administration building as the School Committee holds a closed door session Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in North Kingstown, R.I. Assistant Superintendent Denise Mancieri announced in a letter that she was retiring Thursday, instead of at the end of the school year, saying she was doing it to support the district in healing.. A request for comment to the school districts attorney has not been returned. Thomas, who was served a subpoena at his familys home in North Kingstown, denied having any records, according to court documents filed Wednesday morning. Successful completion of this course earns a certificate that students may present to the DMV for a Drivers Permit. North Kingstown High School150 Fairway DrNorth Kingstown, RI 02852(401) 268-6236(401) 268-6210, Principal In the latest Rhode Island Report podcast, Globe reporter Amanda Milkovits talks about how a North Kingstown High School basketball coach was able to conduct body fat tests on naked students for nearly 25 years. Read more. An ongoing investigation of former coach Aaron Thomas has lifted the lid off allegations against two other coaches in the North Kingstown School District, which parents and students say fostered a poisonous sports culture that they were helpless to stop. Jennifer Lima, a new member of the School Committee, had voted in February to fire veteran basketball coach and teacher Aaron Thomas for conducting private body fat tests on naked teenage male athletes. Target 12 has independently verified that the investigation into Thomas is focused on skinfold caliper tests of body fat that he performed on some student athletes in North Kingstown over multiple decades. Listen in the player below: Hear more by downloading the latest episode of Rhode Island Report, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and other podcasting platforms, or find out more about this episode here: Read more. Interim Superintendent Michael Waterman announced the actions on Wednesday and said that investigations have begun into allegations that have been received. Lawyer Timothy J. Conlon is asking the school department to turn over all of the records tendered by Thomas or his lawyer that involve students at the high school, fat testing, and the Canton, Mass. The complaint from lawyer Timothy J. Conlon alleges that North Kingstown school officials ignored Thomas misconduct, failed to report him to the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families, stalled in reporting him to the state Department of Education, and allowed Thomas to use his position inappropriately. I think thats the key issue here, Duggan said. Monsignor Clarke school principal Arthur Lisi announced in a email to the schools community that they have fired Aaron Thomas, the former North Kingstown High School basketball coach accused of conducting inappropriate fat tests on naked male student athletes for more than two decades. People protesting North Kingstown superintendent Phil Auger hold up signs during a North Kingstown school committee meeting at North Kingstown High School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island on November 16, 2021. company Athletic IQ, as well as any communication he had with students, and records in his computer at his home or office related to his employment in North Kingstown. The district also notified the Rhode Island Department of Education. Im writing to you because I can no longer stay silent about the trauma I was subjected to by Aaron Thomas, the former student wrote. After multiple investigations, in July 2022 he was charged with second-degree child molestation and second-degree sexual assault. And when their teacher was finally escorted from the school and placed on leave in April, one of the boys told his mother about the database. Conley shared those emails publicly on Friday. In February 2021, when a former student athletes plea to school officials finally prompted them to put Thomas on leave and investigate, the longtime coach was indignant. Over a distance of years, theyd come to the same conclusions. Barbara-Jean Mancini Read more, NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. When the boys began documenting how a teacher at Davisville Middle School was treating the girls in their class, they hoped to prove to adults that he was a creep.. There were coaches in the locker room, on buses, at tryouts. OVERALL 7-3 0.70 Win % LEAGUE 1-2 3rdState Championship. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Three months after a retired judge reported how Aaron Thomas was allowed to conduct naked fat tests of teen boys for decades, the Town Council still had questions Sep. 26 about whether school officials were making recommended changes. The decision by Monsignor Clarke to put Thomas on administrative leave came after Target 12 asked questions during the final stages of a months-long investigation into whether he acted inappropriately. Aaron Thomas, head basketball coach at North Kingstown High since the 1990s, resigned suddenly amid a school department investigation into claims of misconduct in June of this year. The athletic department will also use an app for communications by fall. North Kingstown School Committee member Jennifer Lima, second right, reads a statement outside the central administration building, before holding a closed door session Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in North Kingstown, R.I. (Stew Milne for The Boston Globe), Stew Milne/Stew Milne for The Boston Globe, People are screaming at me, [holding] the signs What if it was your kid? " Lima said in an interview. While the adults deny knowing anyone was naked, the students say it was an open secret. We currently have a full-time substitute teacher in the classroom and are working to find a certified social studies teacher.. Conlon, the attorney represented alleged victims in the Aaron Thomas case, said he has received complaints about two additional coaches; one a middle school track coach and another coach at the high school. A spokesperson for state Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed the investigation this week but could not provide details. Then, on Feb. 12, 2021, another former student emailed deputy superintendent Denise Mancieri, saying the fat testing had started when he was about 13. Coaches will be required to use the school districts email system to communicate with students and parents, Waterman said. As protesters rallied outside, school committee members met to discuss investigative proceedings, job performance, and potential litigation over allegations that Thomas, had for more than 20 years urged male student athletes to strip naked for body fat tests he conducted on them in a small room off of his office. PHOTO: File. Principal of Student Services Read more. 6 seed, URI mens basketball hoping to avoid winless road, URIs Tammi Reiss named 2023 A10 Coach of the Year, Honoring Black History: Sharing Our Stories, 2/24/2023: Rep. Cicilline; special election preview, R.I. native on the newest season of Survivor, Join Cardis in supporting the Gamm Theatre, In the Kitchen: Steak Fries with Parmesan and Black, Alexandras Too shares the latest styles and trends, In the Kitchen with Bob Burke from Pot au Feu, Matos: No timeline to decide on run for Congress, RI lawmakers seek to legalize magic mushrooms, Prov. Those are memories Ill have the rest of my life. Aaron Thomas, 54, resigned as a coach and teacher at North Kingstown in June and was hired at Monsignor Clarke School in Wakefield as a teacher for the 2021-22 school year. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. I am a hundred percent sure, she said, when one council member questioned her decision.