Aaron Thomas testifies for a third day in ‘naked fat test’ case

WAKEFIELD, R.I. (WLNE) — Former North Kingstown High School basketball coach Aaron Thomas was back on the stand Tuesday in his third day testifying in his own defense.

Thomas admitted in court on Tuesday he did perform “fat tests” on students while they were naked, but continued to deny he did it for any reason other than success on the court.

His attorney again focused on Thomas’s fitness testing program, which Thomas said he started himself back in the early 1990s.

The attorney specifically dove into the part of the testing where student-athletes took their clothes off for the thigh circumference and adductor parts of the test.

In court, his attorney asked Thomas how many students were asked “are you shy or not shy,” before they took their clothes off for the test.

In response, Thomas said every athlete was asked this same question during each and every testing session. He added that 80% of the athletes that went through his program were naked during this part of the test.

“I do acknowledge it was wrong, there is no question about it,” Thomas said.

Back in 2022, Thomas pled not guilty after a months-long investigation into allegations against him by both North Kingstown police and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.

He is charged with one count of second-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree sexual assault.

Thomas testified that he never made any contact with any student-athlete’s genitalia and continued to deny there was any sexual motivation.

“It was something I continuously did with no issues and never put much thought behind it,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he did lie to police at one point about the tests but only because he was concerned it would impact his coaching job.

Thomas’s case will pick back up May 7, when he’s expected to testify for a fourth day.