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. Nyblom was the varsity coach in The Town Council said they were unsatisfied with the School Committees response so far. (401) 268-6267 A championship coach, a top fundraiser for school athletics, the face of the North Kingstown basketball program -- no one questioned what he was doing with student-athletes or why he was conducting his fat tests on them. Whether it happened in a narrow equipment closet off the locker room in the old high school, or a small windowless office with CCTV video screens in the new high school, the celebrated boys basketball coach, Aaron Thomas, was asking male student athletes to strip naked, alone in a room with him, so he could conduct fat tests on their teenage bodies. 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. Safe environment policies for diocesan schools and programs are available on-line at Office of Compliance Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island Providence, RI and Diocesan Child Protection and Outreach Policy Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island Providence, RI and inquiries about those policies may be directed to the Diocesan Office of Compliance at 401-941-0760, or email at [email protected]. 18 Coventry, 50-46, in 2022 preliminary round. 15 Smithfield lost to No. Thomas moved communications about school business off the school system and through private servers, and created his own net work for communicating with students about body fat testing, Conlon told the Globe outside the courthouse Friday. The Town Council said they were unsatisfied with the School Committees response so far. Read more. The nature of the examinations and contact was such that on multiple occasions, I became erect. (401) 268-6244 Read the statement released by Monsignor Clarke: Dear MCS Community, The Skippers head coach for more than 20 years and a teacher at the high school, Thomas Our school community is working through its investigation around allegations involving Mr. Thomas at NKHS, and I respect the importance to move forward with a new district leader who is in no way connected to these matters, Auger wrote in a letter addressed to the North Kingstown school community. There were coaches in the locker room, on buses, at tryouts. WebA Hope High School teacher and former boys' basketball coach is facing assault charges following an arrest earlier this week. Well, it was my kid. 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NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. There was so much about the. 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 podcast. 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. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) It was a busy morning for first responders in North Kingstown on Wednesday. Most, however, felt pressured to say they were not shy. (401) 268-6261, Clinic Main Line: (401) 268-6278 We are investigating the claim, and in keeping with our policies, Mr. Thomas was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. They boys invited incoming students to continue documenting the teachers behavior; about eight boys added to the database over the course of a year. Whos next at North Kingstown? Nyblom was the varsity coach in North Kingstown in the 1980s. A spokesperson for state Attorney General Peter Neronha confirmed the investigation this week but could not provide details. PHOTO: File. Interim Superintendent Michael Waterman announced the actions on Wednesday and said that investigations have begun into allegations that have been received. Read more. Over a distance of years, theyd come to the same conclusions. However, the school department said Thomas resigned in June. I didnt want to tell them before Thanksgiving, Dempsey said, in case it didnt go the way I planned.". The Diocese of Providence was informed today by the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General that an investigation has been opened into allegations of misconduct concerning a teacher at Monsignor Clarke School in Wakefield while he was a teacher and coach at a different, non-Catholic school, said diocesan spokesperson Michael Kieloch. WebNorth Kingstown High School Feb 06 @ 72. Conlon is asking the school department to turn over all of the records tendered by Thomas or his lawyers, civil attorney Timothy Dodd and criminal attorney John E. MacDonald, that involve students at the high school, fat testing, and the Canton, Mass. School District Chief Operating Officer Mary King told the Town Council during Fridays budget meeting that she moved up her retirement to June, instead of December. (401) 268-6237 WebCoach Sauro was recently the head coach at South Kingstown High School from 1997-2021. 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. Could North Kingstown have done something to entice Dempsey to stay? carcinization etymology; Its hard to walk away and Im not walking away because of football its just for family., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. We currently have a full-time substitute teacher in the classroom and are working to find a certified social studies teacher.. What will the committee do about the current or retired officials who should be held accountable? 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. 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. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) Over more than two decades as the boys basketball coach at North Kingstown High School, Aaron Thomas became Read the statement released by the North Kingstown School Department: Mr. 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. Is there any validity with having people take all their clothes off so you can measure skinfold and thigh circumference? 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. Ive been bleeding black and gold with teaching for 12 years and coaching for 11 and helped Joe build the program up from a winless team to the best public school in the state, Dempsey said. 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. Coach Sauro has also recently coached 8 years in the NECBL. 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. 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. 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. Principal of Teaching and Learning 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.. Eric Anderson 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.. 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. 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 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. Along with the letter Conlon provided to the US Attorney, he also provided several witness statement that go into more detail of the reported inappropriate actions of the coaches. Over the summer, Dempsey decided this past season would be his last, but he was still trying to make coaching and parenting work out. This school year, he has been working as a middle school teacher at Monsignor Clarke in Wakefield. The first time I fat tested was 13 years old, he wrote in another email. Ice Hockey Girls Varsity 8. Retired Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl was hired by the Town Council in November to analyze the findings of investigations into Thomas and accusations that he had performed body fat tests on nude teenage boys since at least the mid-1990s. Buying Spree Continues: Paolino Purchases Former Peoples Savings Bank Building at 70 Kennedy PlazaBuying Spree Continues: Paolino, Brown Med School Prof Told to Prostitute Himself To Secure Additional Funding, Says Fed LawsuitBrown Med School Prof, RIDOT Director Alvitis Reconfirmation Opposed by Advocacy Groups at State House HearingRIDOT Director Alvitis Reconfirmation, Artist to Know: S.W. Dempsey hails from Hazelton, Pa., an area that treats football like a religion. Participate enthusiastically in structured and informal learning and development opportunities. Tim White([email protected]) is theTarget 12managing editor and chief investigative reporter at 12 News, and the host ofNewsmakers. Cumberland High School. The family told Conlon that the teacher had a history of similar behavior with other young female students he coached. I didnt want to stay and half-[expletive] it and not give my full time, Dempsey said. I want to let you know that Mr. Thomas was terminated today, Lisi wrote in the email, which was obtained by the Globe. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) It was a busy morning for first responders in North Kingstown on Wednesday. Thomas resigned from the North Kingstown School Department in June. WebA Hope High School teacher and former boys' basketball coach is facing assault charges following an arrest earlier this week. 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. Apply to Rhode Island - North Kingstown Bilingual Spanish Required, Call Center Representative and more! WebProfessional learning, development and growth Collaborate with coach, grade-level chair and school team to improve instructional, culture-building and leadership skills. Conlon also sent the letter to Assistant US Attorney Kevin L. Hubbard, who is working on the ongoing civil rights investigation into complaints about former boys high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas conducting naked fat tests of teen boys. That decision is in the hands of Dave Tober, who just recently started as North Kingstowns athletic director. I do not think that I have a conflict of interest, she said in a statement posted on her campaigns Facebook page Thursday evening. You have 20 years of history of people being uncomfortable with and seeing behaviors that anyone should be uncomfortable with, in the open, in the school, and the behaviors were not addressed, because the students were not comfortable in the environment they were in, Conlon said Wednesday. Some residents at the meeting accused them of failing to take action against the school officials who failed to take action against Thomas. The North Kingstown High School baseball team will defend its state title after it defeated Portsmouth, 4-2, on Friday to complete a sweep of the best-of-three semifinal series. While he was the coach at SK, his teams won 2 State Championships in 2002 and 2018. I wanted the kids growing up around me coaching, but I want to be there for them, too.. 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. carcinization etymology; 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. 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. Thomas was a teacher and a coach in the North Kingstown School Department Read More. The Rhode Island Attorney Generals Office confirms that former North Kingstown High Basketball Coach Aaron Thomas is under investigation. Dempseys departure is strictly family-related. The school department is agreeing to preserve the records, while redacting information that identifies students. Eli Sherman ([email protected]) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. A request for comment to the school districts attorney has not been returned. 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. (401) 268-6279, Inspiring Students to Reach Individual Excellence. Council Chairman Greg Mancini said Thursday the report will be posted on the town website on Monday at 5 p.m. Successful completion of this course earns a certificate that students may present to the DMV for a Drivers Permit. The investigation began with former high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas, who has since been criminally charged with second-degree child molestation and second degree sexual assault for conducting private, naked fat tests of teenage boys since the mid-1990s. School Nurse The revelations announced in the letter comes after interim Superintendent Michael Waterman placed two district employees on leave in May. Although the school department ultimately removed that teacher from his coaching job in North Kingstown after the mother threatened to obtain a restraining If Thomas asked if a student was Shy or not shy? the student was expected to remove his underwear for the fat testing though, according to the report, some were permitted to place their hands over their genitals as Thomas pinched the skin of their inner thighs with skin fold calipers. As a middle schooler, she had kept a diary. The North Kingstown School Department has no other information it can legally share on this matter.. The School Committee responded with a statement about the uniquely challenging time that didnt directly answer the questions from attendees. 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. WebNorth Kingstown High School Football; North Kingstown Football. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) It was a busy morning for first responders in North Kingstown on Wednesday. LAST STATE APPEARANCE: No. Read more. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. The Town Council will publicly release on Monday a retired judges review of the investigations into former high school boys basketball coach Aaron Thomas and his naked fat tests.. Council Chairman Greg Mancini said Thursday the report will be posted on the town website on Monday at 5 p.m. Dinge - Inside Art with Michael RoseArtist to Know: S.W., Real Estate Giant Compass Reports Net Loss of $602M Loss Now More Than a Billion in Past 2 YearsReal Estate Giant Compass, McKees Makes Big Claims on RI BioScience, But Reality Is Little DifferenceMcKees Makes Big Claims, Dominion Suit Hammers Fox News Credibility - HorowitzDominion Suit Hammers Fox, RIC Mens Basketball Coach Steps Down, Team Was 8-16 This YearRIC Mens Basketball Coach, Up to 7 Inches of Snow Possible in RI Monday Night Into Tuesday - Winter Storm Warning IssuedNEW: Up to 6, More Layoffs in Tech - Twitter Cuts Off Internal Communications for EmployeesMore Layoffs in Tech, Hope High School PE Teacher and former Hope High coach David Nyblom. Heres what they had to say. The young woman also noted the school administrator, guidance counselor, and teachers who were told or were aware of the teachers behavior. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. 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. 1 North Kingstown lost to No. 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. The 87-page report by lawyer Matthew Oliverio, completed at the request of the school committee, makes plain the authority and esteem that Thomas had among other coaches and administrators who appeared reluctant to question him. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. A six-month-old investigation by the North Kingstown School Committee has just been released and adds more dramatic details to the swirling controversy of fired Coach Aaron Thomas and his "fat tests" on naked male high school students. NORTH KINGSTOWN It wasnt just the celebrated high school basketball coach performing naked fat tests of teenage boys. He is not facing any criminal charges. Deans The letter also contends the track coach would also have female track athletes take off their shirts to have them run in just sports bras and conduct inappropriate stretching exercises. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. The interim school superintendent announced late Friday night that he has placed a teacher accused of stalking a middle school girl on leave and ordered an internal investigation. He was the focus of sportswriter Bill Reynolds 2017 book, Hope: A School, A Team, A Dream.. Read more. Updated: Mar 1, 2023 / 02:17 PM EST. 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. All rights reserved. Read more. While the adults deny knowing anyone was naked, the students say it was an open secret. Interim Superintendent Michael Waterman, The allegations are laid out in a letter and signed statements that lawyer Timothy Conlon sent Thursday to Assistant US Attorney Kevin L. Hubbard, who is working with Assistant US Attorney Amy R. Romero in, The Town Council had hired retired Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl to review the internal and criminal investigations into Thomas, who has since been criminally charged. If there was any doubt, his 17-1 record against fellow public schools and 2021 Division I Super Bowl title solidified it. (401) 268-6246 According to the letter, the middle school coach, who was also a DJ at middle school dances, would have girls twerking at school dances. 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. In Retired Superior Court Judge Susan McGuirl was. Read more. 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. Read more. Thomas who has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Target 12 started at Monsignor Clarke this fall after resigning from North Kingstown High in June. 152 - Landon Ward (North Pontotoc High School) 14-0, Jr. 160 - Eli Carwyle (North Pontotoc High School) 12-1, Jr. 170 - Maison Kleist (Vancleave High School) 26-13, Jr. The athletic department will also use an app for communications by fall. (401) 268-6230 NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. When she first read about. Amanda Lemos They saw how their students struggled with their mental health. After hearing concerns from the lawyer representing former and current student athletes, the Town Council voted unanimously to ask the committee about counseling for former students and to demonstrate the school district had put new policies in place. After several months, they determined that no criminal charges could be brought against the former coach. North Kingstown High School. 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. Within days of a damning investigative report that faulted school administrators for turning a blind eye to former high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas naked fat tests of boys, three top school district administrators have left or are retiring earlier than planned. The North Kingstown School Committee held an unusual meeting behind closed doors that lasted about six hours to discuss decisions involving the former coach, Aaron Thomas. Barbara-Jean Mancini I love coaching football and its probably the hardest decision Ive made, but I want to be a good father and be there for my kids.. Even now, they remember his question: Are you shy, or not shy?. I am a hundred percent sure, she said, when one council member questioned her decision. Catch up on our coverage of the entire story here, with earlier reporting as well as the latest news from the lawyers, school administrators, parents, and victims. , RI reports $1.6M in back pay recovered since 2020, Prosecutor who charged Alahverdian buys UK castle, Whos in the mix to replace Congressman Cicilline, New NCAA president says NIL rules could protect athletes, Bryant loses at buzzer to Maine, drops to No. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. Another coach in the North Kingstown School District is being accused of inappropriate behavior with underage students. Not just the 300 or so weight testing agreements that one of his lawyers told the Globe about last November. 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. 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. HOME 2-2 AWAY 5-1 NEUTRAL 0-0. For my response to Mr. Thomas, I remain steadfast in the knowledge that I acted appropriately and immediately in the best interest of students past and present, with the information I had at the time. Read more. bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Jessica de la Cruz, companion bill sponsored by Democratic Representative Julie Casimiro, placed both men, as well as an administrator, on leave in May. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. The lawyer for former student-athletes accusing high school basketball coach Aaron Thomas of conducting naked body-fat tests served subpoenas on Tuesday against the school department and Thomas for a wide range of documents and computer records. NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. A former North Kingstown High School student-athlete and his father are accusing former school administrators and athletic directors of fostering a culture that allowed coaches to behave inappropriately with students and brushed off or buried complaints. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: Bachelors degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or 7 or more years of energy related field experience is required. With the summer stuff this year, I was bringing my daughters to practice, and some of the lift sessions, and it was great to have them around the program and they loved going. The victory was the 200th in the career of head coach Bob Simeone, who was saluted Tuesday night at home before win number 201. 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. Children as young as 14 cannot consent to sexual activity with those in authority, de la Cruz said. 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. Shivali Finkelstein 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. He did this to dozens if not hundreds of boys over a ~10 year period to my knowledge.. Her 80-page investigative report, released in June, looked at the systemic failures of the North Kingstown School Department that allowed Thomas to have the teens undress for purported body fat tests that involved him touching close to their groin and having them do stretches naked. 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