The subpoenas, which were filed in court Wednesday, precede a hearing on Friday on a civil complaint and writ of replevin against Thomas before Judge Sarah Taft-Carter in Washington County Superior Court. Over a distance of years, theyd come to the same conclusions. Copyright 2023 North Kingstown School Department. 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. SOUTH KINGSTOWN Aaron Thomas, accused of conducting naked fat tests on teen athletes for decades, was arraigned on Aug. 26 in Washington County Superior Court on felony charges of second-degree child molestation and second-degree sexual assault. There, alone with Thomas, they would have to remove their clothes and underwear so Thomas could do a body fat test, using skinfold calipers to pinch and explore the skin near their scrotum, their groin, and their buttocks, some of Thomas former players told The Boston Globe in multiple interviews over the past several months. 1 North Kingstown lost to No. It shouldnt matter if it was my kid or someone elses kid. We need to make sure its no one elses kid.. Read the statement released by the North Kingstown School Department: Mr. Lynda Thibeault lawmakers want public vetting of next teachers, Dave Grohl cooks barbecue for hundreds at shelter, System outage interrupts SNAP benefits, DMV services, 10 vehicles involved in 2 North Kingstown crashes, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, Evening Sprinkle/Flurry; Light Rain Overnight Into, Passenger reacts to close call at Logan Airport, What time is it on moon? NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Another coach in the North Kingstown School District is being accused of inappropriate behavior with underage students. Cumberland High School. It shouldnt matter if it was my kid or someone elses kid. We need to make sure its no one elses kid. Read more. Former North Kingstown High School head boys' basketball coach Aaron Thomas appeared on a Feb. 21, 2021, Roundtable episode of The Rhody Runback They told her that other student-athletes considered the body-fat testing something they had to do. Eli Sherman (esherman@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. (WLNE) NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) Two more coaches within the North Kingstown School Department are facing allegations of inappropriate behavior. Well, it was my kid. Superintendent Michael Waterman said in a letter to the school community that he was responding to the allegations that lawyer Timothy J. Conlon, who is representing the family, sent to the school department on Thursday. Read more. She maintains a 3.78 grade point average at North Kingstown High School and volunteers locally as a youth basketball and volleyball coach, also donating time as a tutor for middle school students. During the Nov. 29 meeting, a parent alleged that her sons had been subjected to the coachs naked fat testing of student-athletes and that it continued even after he was told to stop in 2018. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) The longtime former boys basketball coach at North Kingstown High School has been placed on leave at his new job as the Instead, it took more than 20 years and several of those former students, now adults, to stop Thomas from making the teenage boys at North Kingstown High School pose and stretch in a small room off of his office, naked and alone with him as he measured their body fat, pinching and exploring the skin near their genitals with calipers and, sometimes, his bare hands. She had had the same teacher, years earlier. The House Judiciary Committee is considering a vote Friday on a, Current and former students, as well as parents, signed witness statements for an investigation by the US attorneys office about two coaches who they said were inappropriate with female students in middle school and high school. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. When the boys began. The North Kingstown school district has been under fire for its handling of a former high school basketball coach. (401) 268-6263 Coaches will be required to use the school districts email system to communicate with students and parents, Waterman said. I think thats the key issue here, Duggan said. One alleged that Thomas did a hernia check. Read more. Kim Lanowy said her sons, who graduated in 2019 and 2021, wanted to play basketball. Apply to Rhode Island - North Kingstown Bilingual Spanish Required, Call Center Representative and more! Erin Ward WebCoach Sauro was recently the head coach at South Kingstown High School from 1997-2021. Principal of Student Services North Kingstown High School150 Fairway DrNorth Kingstown, RI 02852(401) 268-6236(401) 268-6210, Principal A spokesman for the Diocese told the Globe on Saturday that the principal at North Kingstown High School had given longtime teacher and basketball coach Aaron Thomas a positive, professional reference and he wouldnt have been hired if theyd known he was under investigation. While the adults deny knowing anyone was naked, the students say it was an open secret. David Nyblom - a three-time Rhode Island High School Boys Basketball Coach of the Year was arrested on Thursday. Even after the win over South Kingstown, Dempsey still had doubts but knew that his family had to come first. The Globe Rhode Island contacted multiple former administrators, teachers, and sports officials who supervised or worked alongside Thomas at North Kingstown High School over the last 30 years. Read more. The Town Council said they were unsatisfied with the School Committees response so far. 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. Making the decision wasnt something Dempsey took lightly. (401) 268-6279, Inspiring Students to Reach Individual Excellence. The North Kingstown Police Department and the attorney generals office brought the charges against Thomas, who will be arraigned on Aug. 19 in Washington County Superior Court. Principal Lisi said Thomas was placed on administrative leave after the school was notified of a complaint that one of our newly hired middle school teachers allegedly acted inappropriately while previously employed at a different, public school.. Connect with him onTwitterandFacebook. Dempsey hails from Hazelton, Pa., an area that treats football like a religion. Some said he would also ask them to do stretches or duck walks while naked. Westerly and North Kingstown will now begin a hiring process thats already started at Portsmouth and Shea. And then, he homed in on one of his former players: There is a kid, and I know who it is, who is out to get me. Try plastic surgery for autographs, Fan brings Olympian Mary Lou Retton to tears, RISPCA has nearly 30 guinea pigs up for adoption, February vacation events around Southern New England, How you can help those affected by Station fire, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Dr. Christopher Duggan, a pediatric gastroenterologist and nutrition physician at Boston Childrens Hospital and a pediatrics professor at Harvard Medical School, told the Globe that theres no reason for people to be unclothed during these types of tests. Dr. Barbara Morse We are investigating the claim, and in keeping with our policies, Mr. Thomas was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. According to his biography, he first coached at Hope since 1989. And most of all, how no students ever reported Thomas to any teachers, administrators, coaches, or parents because his behavior was considered a rite of passage to play ball, the school culture discouraged reporting, and, for boys, its difficult to come forward about sexual misconduct. Courses are offered at most high schools, CCRI's four campus locations, and various locations throughout the state. Read more. He said that he has been in communication with more people regarding Thomass actions, including students who said they had been fat tested as recently as 2020. 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. Jennifer Lima, who voted to terminate Thomas in February, said she made her decision to recuse after receiving input from the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. Read more. Lanowy was one of several residents urging the town council Monday night to hire outside counsel to either conduct a separate investigation into Thomas or analyze the renewed external investigation by the school committee. Our school takes great pride in the quality of education and the safety of your children and we go to great lengths to ensure our school upholds these standards. The school department said it turned the matter over to the North Kingstown Police Department. Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. A spokesman for the Diocese told the Globe on Saturday that the principal at North Kingstown High School had given longtime teacher and basketball coach Aaron Thomas a positive, professional reference and he wouldnt have been hired if theyd known he was under investigation. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Theres no debate about what happened for more than 25 years at North Kingstown High School. The Rhode Island Attorney Generals Office confirms that former North Kingstown High Basketball Coach Aaron Thomas is under investigation. For over twenty years, the Department allowed Mr. Thomas to remain in his coaching and teaching positions while he used those positions to groom students into the widespread acceptance of his practices, portraying the fat tests, and various other practices that involved naked inspection and touching of children as necessary and useful to the athletic evaluation and performance of the young students and student athletes under his supervision, when in fact they were neither, according to the complaint. Mia Toro How this went on for more than 20 years, because Thomas was respected, powerful, and left unchecked. And most of all, how no students ever reported Thomas to any teachers, administrators, coaches, or parents because his behavior was considered a rite of passage to play ball, the school culture discouraged reporting, and, for boys, its difficult to come forward about sexual misconduct. The first time I fat tested was 13 years old, he wrote in another email. Read more. 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. Successful completion of this course earns a certificate that students may present to the DMV for a Drivers Permit. Through his new lawyer, Timothy Dodd of Providence, Thomas is asking for the complaint to be dismissed. Updated: Mar 1, 2023 / 02:17 PM EST. Read more. In a statement to the media, Waterman said that he would report the findings of the investigations to the school committee and the school community. 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. Hed give them an out, one that few of the students felt they could actually take: Hed ask them, . This isnt true, high school principal Barbara Morse recalled Thomas saying at the time, according to an independent investigative report by lawyer Matthew Oliverio. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) It was a busy morning for first responders in North Kingstown on Wednesday. 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. suspend service verizon; get back whip laws wisconsin; is darwin watterson black; proof of publication los angeles; koboldkare steamunlocked; characters named adam. WebA Hope High School teacher and former boys' basketball coach is facing assault charges following an arrest earlier this week. Then, on Feb. 12, 2021, another former student emailed deputy superintendent Denise Mancieri, saying the fat testing had started when he was about 13. He took over in 2020 and in three years had an 18-10 regular-season record and helped North Kingstown continue its reputation as the states best public school program. Editor's Note: A previous version identfied Nyblom as the current coach at Hope. The pedo database is now part of a sprawling investigation under the federal anti-discrimination law Title IX, into how sexual harassment and misconduct allegations have been handled by the North Kingstown School District. The lawyer for several former student-athletes at North Kingstown High School disputed the School Committees statement that school officials didnt know until last February that basketball coach Aaron Thomas had been conducting naked fat tests on teenage boys for more than 20 years. Several weeks later, Hague said, then-athletic director Dick Fossa told him that the issue had been addressed. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. But in order to avoid even the slightest appearance of impropriety I have come to believe this is the right course of action. Read more. They saw how their students struggled with their mental health. 4 Ponaganset, 62-57, in the 2022 semifinals.No. Barbara-Jean Mancini Asst. The school received a complaint that one of our recently hired middle school teachers allegedly acted inappropriately while previously employed at a different, public school. LAST STATE APPEARANCE: No. The middle school teacher, who is not named, was coaching the pre-teen girl when her family said he became fixated on her and made arrangements to be alone with her, according to Conlons letter. Read more. placed two district employees on leave in May. The lawyer for former North Kingston high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas told the Globe late Thursday that he has 300 signed consent forms spanning 10+ years, from teen male athletes and their parents allowing Thomas to perform body-composition tests. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) The longtime former boys basketball coach at North Kingstown High School has been placed on leave at his new job as the attorney general investigates allegations of inappropriate interactions with former underage student athletes. #ada-button-frame { Its hard to walk away and Im not walking away because of football its just for family., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Two more school employees have been placed on administrative leave, just days after a Davisville Middle School teacher was placed on leave over allegations that. Thomas, who was served a subpoena at his familys home in North Kingstown, denied having any records, according to court documents filed Wednesday morning. Through his new lawyer, Timothy Dodd of Providence, Thomas is asking for the complaint to be dismissed. The nature of the examinations and contact was such that on multiple occasions, I became erect. There were coaches in the locker room, on buses, at tryouts. But, MacDonald said, the records in question have already been returned to the North Kingstown School Department, at the request of a laywer for the North Kingstown schools, who said they were the departments property. In an 80-page investigative report released Monday, retired Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirlcq took a broad look at the systemic failures that allowed former coach Aaron Thomas to conduct naked fat tests of teen boys for decades. Nyblom was the varsity coach in Aaron Thomas, 54, had been a teacher and coach at North Kingstown High School since the 1990s before he resigned in June, when the reports came to light. Some are still working at the high school or Davis Middle School, others have moved on to other school districts or retired. 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.. And just like that, the Rhode Island high school football community sees another coach leave a high-profile job for reasons that have nothing to do with football. The middle school teacher, who is not named, was coaching the pre-teen girl when her family said he became fixated on her and made arrangements to be alone with her, according to Conlons letter. In late October, when the accusations against Thomas became public along with the phrase he used to coax boys into taking off their underwear, Are you shy or not shy? Lima told the Globe that her oldest son revealed to her for the first time that it had happened to him, too. Fax Number: (401) 268-6220 The athletic department will also use an app for communications by fall. WebNorth Kingstown High School Athletics Select Sports Main Phone: (401) 268-6240 Fax Number: (401) 268-6220 Department Head Mia Toro (401) 268-6238 Counselors North Kingstown High School. The Skippers stayed on track Tuesday with a 58-44 victory over Bay View, the team they beat for the D-I title last season. In the letter, the high school coach is accused of spotting female athletes by putting his groin in girls faces or being pressed up against them from behind. The decision wasnt easy, but Fran Dempseys decision to step down as head coach of the North Kingstown football team was made with the future in mind. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) Over more than two decades as the boys basketball coach at North Kingstown High School, Aaron Thomas became NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. The teachers are not OK. One after another told the School Committee Tuesday night they were feeling defeated, depressed, stressed, and begged for mental health support. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. When she first read about. Mt. Attend all professional development, team planning and data analysis meetings. 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.. PROVIDENCE The Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that would make it a crime for authority figures to have sexual contact with teenagers under their supervision. But, MacDonald said, the records in question have already been returned to the North Kingstown School Department, at the request of a laywer for the North Kingstown schools, who said they were the departments property. PHOTO: File. Read more. No. I Current and former students, as well as parents, signed witness statements for an investigation by the US attorneys office about two coaches who they said were inappropriate with female students in middle school and high school. If you have more information about this story, contact Target12@wpri.com. If they answered shy, they were allowed to keep their underwear on. Hed give them an out, one that few of the students felt they could actually take: Hed ask them, Are you shy or not shy? victims told the Globe. In June 2017, according to the report, former athletic director Howie Hague described coming across Thomas alone in his classroom with a male student, who was standing in front of Thomas with only his shorts on. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. As a middle schooler, she had kept a diary. carcinization etymology; He did not identify the two other school employees or the nature of the allegations involving them. This isnt true, high school principal Barbara Morse recalled Thomas saying at the time, according to an independent investigative report by lawyer Matthew Oliverio. While he was the coach at SK, his teams won 2 State Championships in 2002 and 2018. Council Chairman Greg Mancini said Thursday the report will be posted on the town website on Monday at 5 p.m. top 100 high school football players in delaware; is mojave turquoise real; eccup reservoir fishing; ipa installer shortcut; abelardo's nutrition. In a five-page statement released Oct. 3 by her lawyer, Timothy J. Conlon, along with a letter to Assistant US Attorney Kevin L. Hubbard, the young woman described how the teacher harassed and humiliated students. Read more. Outside the courthouse, Thomas walked away quickly with criminal lawyer John L. Calcagni, as his criminal lawyer, John MacDonald, spoke on his behalf. It has expanded with the allegations against the Davisville Middle School and another coach at the high school, who was also placed on leave this spring over allegations he was inappropriate with underage girls. Over the summer, Dempsey decided this past season would be his last, but he was still trying to make coaching and parenting work out. Could North Kingstown have done something to entice Dempsey to stay? Prior to hiring all our teachers, we conduct thorough and legally-mandated background checks and professional references are explored as part of our efforts to hire quality, safe faculty. display: none; Meghan Maguire Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter signed a consent order, after the schools lawyer, Mary Ann Carroll, and lawyer Timothy J. Conlon reached an agreement, according to documents filed in court Friday. Lunar time zone push begins, Hate your signature? The House Judiciary Committee is considering a vote Friday on a companion bill sponsored by Democratic Representative Julie Casimiro, whose district includes North Kingstown. Hope has an opening as well. The director of the Center for Nutrition at Boston Childrens Hospital said that the naked body-fat tests that former North Kingstown High School basketball coach Aaron Thomas performed on teenage boys were overly invasive and inappropriate. But even so, it can be difficult for students especially boys to confront a powerful coach.