Latest news with #NorthKingstownHighSchool
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
WATCH: Inside the Aaron Thomas trial
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Aaron Thomas, the longtime former basketball coach at North Kingstown High School, was acquitted this week of felony sex crimes related to the 'naked fat tests' he conducted on underage student-athletes behind closed doors. The jury found Thomas guilty of two counts of misdemeanor battery. FULL STORY: Aaron Thomas not guilty of sex crimes, convicted of battery in 'naked fat test' trial In the video above, Target 12 Investigators Tim White and Eli Sherman take you inside the entire six-week trial, providing analysis and showing witness testimony, key evidence and closing arguments from attorneys on both sides. You can watch this in-depth special report at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday on the . How to download the WPRI 12+ TV app Watch or with the new . Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Associated Press
High school coach who did naked fat tests found not guilty of child molestation, sexual assault
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A jury has found a former Rhode Island high school basketball coach not guilty of second-degree child molestation and second-degree sexual assault after he spent decades asking hundreds of male student-athletes if they were 'shy or not shy' before asking them to get naked so he could their check their body fat. Instead, the 12 jurors found Aaron Thomas guilty of a lesser charge, misdemeanor battery, in their verdict handed down Monday. In the final days of the trial, attorneys agreed that the jury could consider convicting Thomas of misdemeanor battery rather than the harsher charges originally issued against the coach. Throughout the nearly six-week trial, defense attorneys for Thomas argued that the so-called naked fat tests conducted by the once-beloved coach at North Kingstown High School were wrong but not a crime. The defense said Thomas didn't touch the boy athletes for sexual gratification or arousal, a key requirement under the charges he faced. 'We'd like to thank the jury for their attention, their hard work, and for their verdict. We are very satisfied that the jury saw the case as we saw it, no sexual intent whatsoever,' defense attorney John MacDonald told reporters outside the court. Prosecutors maintained Thomas created and implemented a program that allowed him to have unfettered access to young naked boys for decades. 'Above all else, this case is about the victims who suffered greatly behind closed doors,' said Attorney General Peter Neronha in a statement. 'And despite what the defendant and his defense would have you believe, pseudo-science is not an excuse for abuse, nor is winning more important than well-being. We believe that what took place here was not just bad judgment, it was, and always has been, criminal conduct.' Neronha added that the statute of limitations on second-degree assault in Rhode Island is three years, a limit that he has pushed to increase to 10 years and would have allowed him to pursue more charges. Under Rhode Island law, misdemeanor battery carries a maximum one-year prison sentence and a possible fine as high as $1,000. Sentencing for Thomas will take place June 26. Although Thomas performed the tests on multiple students over many years, the charges related to just two former students, including one who was under 14 at the time, in September 2000 and February 2002. Thomas' attorneys argued that these former students' testimony were unreliable — pointing out one of the boy's mental health struggles — and stressed that they really wanted a monetary payment under a separate civil lawsuit. During his testimony, Thomas told the jury that he likely saw more than 600 students throughout his career, with 'roughly 80%' of them taking their underwear off during the test. The tests involved Thomas pinching various areas of their bodies, including near the groin and buttocks. The tests were conducted behind closed doors, first in a small closet-like room and then eventually in Thomas' office. Thomas acknowledged while on the stand that removing the underwear was not necessary, while body fat composition experts said pinching near the groin was not backed by science as a way to determine body fat. More than a dozen students testified throughout the trial, as well as law enforcement officers, body composition experts and former school officials.
Boston Globe
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
‘Not a pioneer, a predator': Former R.I. basketball coach designed ‘naked fat tests' to abuse boys, prosecutor says
'Are you For weeks, his lawyers and Thomas himself sought to portray a focused and driven coach who developed his own body-fat or composition tests for his basketball players as well as select other teenage male athletes. Thomas testified that he did his own research for body-fat formulas and flexibility, as well as for putting pressure on athletes' groins to check for injuries. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up The 'shy' question was to invite the teen boys to remove their underwear, so Thomas could pinch and press along the inside of their upper thighs, the 'v muscle' leading to their groin, and next to their genitals. Advertisement Thomas had no training or certification, and an expert testified that Thomas's tests were flawed — and there was no reason for anyone to be naked. School officials were adamant that no one should be alone with students , who should never be naked. Medical experts testified how to properly conduct exams of injuries and 'puberty tests' — which didn't resemble anything Thomas was doing. The 'Mickey Mouse' consent forms that Thomas eventually came up with didn't give students or parents any details about the testing program, including that he'd be touching their naked groins. Advertisement On Tuesday, as the yearbook photos of 10 former student-athletes were projected onto the wall across from the jury, Thomson recited their testimony about the former coach's tests. Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg has asked the media not to identify the former student-athletes. 'It has ruined me.' 'What happened to me was not OK.' 'It was always the same thing, always trying to get me naked.' 'I thought he was singling me out because I was a good basketball player, but he was singling me out because he wanted to get me naked.' The photos together made it impossible to ignore the similarities between the boys — small, thin, and prepubescent. Although they attended North Kingstown High School at different times, from the 1990s through 2020, their experiences in Thomas's 'naked fat tests' were also similar. 'The carefully manufactured image that he made for himself was absolutely vital for him to be able to abuse and sexually assault all those boys for nearly 30 years without question and without consequences,' Thomson said. 'The boys admired him, they respected him, and above all else, they trusted him … trusted him as a coach and person in authority that everything he was doing was for their benefit." One of the four former student-athletes who testified on Thomas's behalf was taken aback when Thomson asked him if his opinion about the tests would have changed if he'd known there was no reason to be naked, she reminded the jury. 'Why?' he wondered. Advertisement 'The answer is simple,' Thomson said. 'He wanted unfettered access to naked boys all to himself, so he created a program that granted that to him for nearly 30 years.' Thomas is charged with second-degree child molestation, based on a player who alleged he was tested when he was 13, in 2001 to early 2002; and second-degree sexual assault, from a player who was tested between September 2019 and June 30, 2020. A jury of six men and six women is now deliberating. They must find without a reasonable doubt that Thomas touched the inner thighs and groins of the teen athletes for sexual gratification or arousal. For the child molestation charge, the jury must also find that the alleged victim was under 14 years old. If convicted, Thomas faces between three and 15 years in prison for second-degree sexual assault, and between six to 30 years in prison for second-degree child molestation. JudgeThunberg instructed the jury on Monday that if they find Thomas not guilty of those charges, they can consider misdemeanor battery. The former athlete who said he was 13 when Thomas performed the testing on him testified about the trauma he later suffered, starting with a mental-health breakdown that sent him to Butler Hospital his senior year. The former athlete who was tested in 2019 and 2020 testified about getting an erection when Thomas was pressing on his naked groin, and that he also saw the coach with an erection. Both former athletes were consistent about their recollections and gave emotional testimony about the impact on their lives. Thomas denied that he had an erection or saw any teens with an erection, and denied that he tested the former athlete at age 13. Advertisement 'Of course, he's going to tell you he didn't do it… he conveniently crafts this narrative … where he walked the line to criminality,' Thomson said. 'The moment it steps him over the line into a criminal charge, it's 'No way, they're lying.' or 'They're confused.' ' Some of the former athletes testified that Thomas did 'hernia checks' and 'puberty checks' by feeling around their naked groins. Thomas denied doing that, saying it was 'trigger point' testing. The prosecutor told the jury that Thomas came up with that label while researching methods during his own trial. 'You were told he was obsessed with data and he was like [former Patriots coach] Bill Belichick,' Thomson said. 'But he is just who the athletes said he was — She was referring to the former gymnastics doctor convicted of sexually assaulting female athletes under the guise of medical treatment. One of Thomas's former athletes testified that Nassar's case prompted him to contact authorities in 2018. This case started because some former student-athletes kept trying to draw attention to Thomas's actions, finally succeeding in bringing it to the public's attention Advertisement 'You have the ability to let these boys know that you heard them,' Thomson told the jury. 'They said for years we tried to bring attention to this, the administration, the police, no one was listening, no one heard us, but you have. Let these boys know you heard them and do what hasn't been done for 30 years, hold this man accountable for his actions.' During But, Thomson said Tuesday, most aren't, and all came forward for the same reason. 'The only motive these boys all have is what they told you, to be sure this man is away from kids and out of schools,' she said. Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Testimony ends in ‘naked fat test' trial of Aaron Thomas
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Witness testimony concluded Friday in the so-called 'naked fat test' trial, with closing statements and jury deliberations expected to begin next week. Aaron Thomas, who coached boys' basketball at North Kingstown High School for nearly 30 years, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree child molestation and second-degree sexual assault. More than two dozen witnesses have taken the stand to testify since the trial began on April 7. Prosecutors called two final witnesses on Friday, including body composition expert Laurie Milliken, who picked apart Thomas' 'naked fat test' program. More than 600 high school boys went through the program beginning in the early 1990s, and Thomas estimated about 80% of them got completely naked for the tests. Milliken said the body fat percentage measurements Thomas used for the tests were either miscalculated, involved the wrong body part, or were designed for adult men rather than boys. 'Completely inappropriate': Expert witness says students should never be naked for fat tests 'There was nothing useful that came from those measurements,' Milliken said, specifically referencing a body fat measurement Thomas would take of students' upper inner thighs near their genitals. 'From a body composition standpoint, there's nothing there that's useful.' Thomas' attorney, John MacDonald, pushed back, highlighting among other things that Thomas was just a coach and not a trained professional like Milliken. MacDonald also suggested that the formulas used to measure body fat percentage are confusing. 'Is it fair to say that you come from a very different background and perspective than Aaron Thomas?' MacDonald asked. 'That's correct,' responded Milliken. The UMass Boston professor sat in the gallery taking notes through all five days of Thomas' testimony, which ended Thursday, after she testified earlier in the trial as a state's witness. Prosecutors called her back to rebut the validity of Thomas' testimony. Prosecutors also called to the stand Shawn Petrucci, who currently works as the athletic trainer at North Kingstown High School. He told the jury there's no reason to press into someone's muscle to test for an injury unless the person complains of pain. 'Is that something you would do proactively?' Assistant Attorney General Tim Healey asked. 'No,' Petrucci said. 'I would never do that.' Petrucci's testimony cast doubt on an explanation Thomas gave earlier in the week as to why he would press — or 'palpate' — former students' upper inner thighs near their groin for so-called 'trigger point' tests. Thomas told the jury he started the tests, which also included using a caliper to measure body fat in that area, after a string of players on his basketball team suffered groin injuries around the turn of the century. He said the tests could help him determine whether a player might be at risk of getting hurt, even if they weren't complaining of any pain. (It was unclear from Thomas' testimony where the idea came from and why he thought it would help prevent injury. Milliken said she'd never heard of any such test throughout her nearly four decades in the field, adding there's no valid reason to measure fat that high on the thigh.) Healey asked Petrucci if he was aware of any reason why someone would need to palpate any area of the body if a student was 'not experiencing an acute injury.' 'No,' Petrucci said. Petrucci was the last person to take the stand in the trial, where prosecutors called 20 witnesses and the defense called five. Attorneys on both sides are expected to give closing arguments on Monday before the judge hands the case over to the 12-member jury for deliberation. Newsmakers 5/9/25: Key moments from Aaron Thomas trial After the jury was dismissed Friday, Judge Melanie Wilk Thunberg considered a motion for acquittal from the defense, handing Thomas a small victory. Neither charge against the former coach was dismissed outright, but Thunberg ruled the jury could only consider a narrowed scope of the second-degree sexual assault offense. Prosecutors had charged Thomas with two separate elements under the law, including one that alleges sexual assault by 'force and coercion,' and another that alleges sexual assault under the guise of 'medical treatment or examination.' 'I saw what I saw': Witness defends memory of 'naked fat test' in Aaron Thomas trial MacDonald argued that Thomas 'never held himself out as a medical doctor, nurse or provider,' and that because the law isn't well-defined, that element should be eliminated from jury consideration. 'Without much guidance from the General Assembly on this definition, it should be strictly construed, not given the broadest definition that the state wants to give,' MacDonald said. Special Assistant Attorney General Meagan Thomson disagreed, saying Thomas himself referred to the trigger point testing as a medical procedure, and multiple students testified that Thomas performed hernia and puberty tests. (Thomas denied ever conducting those tests.) Thomson also provided case law from courts in other states where judges turned to dictionaries to define 'medical treatment,' which doesn't necessarily have to be performed by a trained provider. 'Aaron Thomas was still performing medical treatments, or diagnoses, as it was provided under the law and how you take that definition,' Thomson said. Thunberg ultimately sided with MacDonald, saying that because a clear definition isn't included in the law, it shouldn't be left up to the jury to subjectively decide what the term means. 'The court agrees that the statute has to be strictly construed,' Thunberg said. The penalty for second-degree sexual assault carries a mandatory minimum of three years and a maximum of 15 years in prison, according to state law. For a second-degree child molestation conviction, the mandatory minimum is six years and the maximum is 30 years in prison. Closing statements are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Monday. COMPLETE COVERAGE: North Kingstown School Scandal Eli Sherman (esherman@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@ is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Aaron Thomas trial: More witness testimony slated for day 2
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Aaron Thomas' defense team is expected to continue its cross-examination of a key witness on the second day of the former North Kingstown coach's trial as several others await their turns on the stand. The second day of witness testimony was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Washington County Superior Court in South Kingstown. Thomas, a former boys' basketball coach at North Kingstown High School, is on trial for second-degree child molestation and second-degree sexual assault. Proceedings began Monday, with prosecutors and the defense giving opening arguments and the R.I. Attorney General's Office calling its first witness to the stand. 'I was 15 years old': Former student describes 'naked fat tests' in Aaron Thomas trial Prosecutors accused Thomas of abusing his power as a coach to get former students alone and naked so that he could touch them around their genitals. Thomas' attorneys pushed back, saying that while potentially inappropriate, the behavior is not criminal. The first witness, who the judge asked not be identified by name, was a student at North Kingstown High School beginning in 2017 who played basketball under Thomas. The former student alleged in court that he was 15 years old when Thomas brought him into his office alone and directed him to strip down naked before conducting a series of physical tests on him. The former student alleged he saw Thomas was visibly aroused after the test, which is a key element associated with the sexual assault charge. Prosecutors must prove the defendant examined the student 'for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification, or stimulation,' which Thomas' attorneys say wasn't the case. About 600 people went through the so-called 'naked fat test' program, which Thomas started in the 1990s when he began teaching and coaching at the high school. Defense attorney John Calcagni started cross-examination of the first witness in the afternoon session Monday, but the questioning was cut short when the jury was released at 3:30 p.m. Cross-examination is expected to resume Tuesday morning in a case that could span weeks. Prosecutors are expected to call 20 witnesses. The defense is expected to call between five and seven witnesses, including Thomas Sherman (esherman@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Tim White (twhite@ is Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter and host of Newsmakers for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
