Schools
Another North Kingstown School Official Resigns Over 'Naked Fat Test' Scandal
Assistant Superintendent Denise Mancieri resigned about a week after Superintendent Phil Auger left amid investigations into the scandal.
NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Another North Kingstown school official has left the district, amid the naked "fat test" scandal.
Former students say former North Kingstown High School basketball coach Aaron Thomas asked students to strip naked in his office for so-called "fat tests," and say he had been doing so since the 1990s. According to WPRI 12, which first reported this story, Superintendent Phil Auger kept Thomas on as a coach for more than two years after some students came forward.
Auger resigned last week, and then Assistant Superintendent Denise Mancieri resigned Thursday. She told WPRI 12 she originally planned to leave at the end of the school year, before shifting course.
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"The standards set to work in public education are high, and they should be," Mancieri wrote in a letter to the North Kingstown school community. "For those who know me, I believe you know my passion for students, their rights, and my ability to remove people from positions who are not doing right by our students. For the students, current and alumni, you have always been my reason for being an educator."
Thomas resigned in June 2021 before facing termination and has denied the allegations. Auger also denied doing anything wrong, saying he would have acted faster if he knew the extent of the allegations sooner.
Find out what's happening in North Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Attorney Timothy Conlon, who is representing former students who came forward, refuted Auger's claim that he didn't know about the allegations. Conlon said at least two students came forward in 2018, but Thomas wasn't up for termination until June 2021.
More on naked fat test story
- Student Says Ex-N. Kingstown Coach Molested Him During Fat Tests
- Ex-Judge To Review Naked 'Fat Test' Investigations Into Former Coach
- N. Kingstown Parents Urge Superintendent To Resign Over Fat Tests
- Naked 'Fat Tests' Were Legal, Says Ex-N. Kingstown Coach's Lawyer
- Ex-RI Teacher Fired From New Job Over Naked 'Fat Tests': Report
- N. Kingstown Schools Knew About Coach's Naked 'Fat Tests': Report
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