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The former Farmington High School Boys Basketball Coach accused of sexually assaulting two of the school’s students is headed to trial after the teens testified at a preliminary hearing Monday in Detroit’s 36th District Court.
Jerremy Thompkins, 43, faced his two accusers in court on Monday after being charged with one count each of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting a 15-year-old and 16-year-old at his home in Detroit. Judge Kenneth King of 36th District Court ordered the case to move to trial in Third Circuit Court and gave the defendant a new $100,000 bond with house arrest as a condition to his bond and no contact with any children ages 16.
“This court certainly would not have given a personal bond. I’m not sure who did that. I think some monetary bond is important in light of these circumstances,” Judge King said. “Not the most egregious facts that I have heard, but still disturbing nothing less.”
Thompkins, who has coached basketball at other schools, faced similar sexual misconduct charges in 2008, but the case was dismissed.
On Monday, both teens involved in the current case testified that Thompkins assaulted them. The Detroit Free Press typically does not name victims of sexual assault.
Both teens testified that Thompkins was their basketball coach while at Farmington High School. The two testified that Thompkins was open with the players about being homosexual and even began spreading rumors that one of the victims was gay, too. The two both testified that they would both spend the night at Thompkins home after going there to work out for basketball.
One of the teens testified that his mother was reluctant at first to let the boy spend the night at Thompkins home, but Thompkins told him he knew exactly what to say to get her to say yes.
“He said, ‘Watch this,’” the boy testified. “’I’m about to say all the right stuff. I know how to say all the right stuff.’”
The boys both testified that Thompkins also told them that he could help them become millionaires with their business ideas.
One night in October, one of the boys testified, he went to Thompkins home to spend the night, and that Thompkins said he was going to give the boy a massage to help him stretch his muscles for basketball. During the massage, the teen said, Thompkins stopped to turn off the light and began massaging the boy’s foot. The boy testified that Thompkins then removed the boy’s shorts and began working his way up the boy’s leg. Thompkins then straddled him across his body and tried to pry his arms apart from being crossed. The boy said he told Thompkins “alright Coach J” more than once and called him a code name that Thompkins told him to call him in prior massages when the boy wanted him to get off of him.
“I was saying ‘You’re the G Code’ repeatedly” the victim testified.
More: Ex-Farmington High School coach faced charges for criminal sexual conduct in 2008
Eventually, the boy said, Thompkins got off of him and he asked Thompkins to take him home.
The teen also testified that he would regularly spend the night at Thompkins house with his other friend, but Thompkins had stopped it after a time when the boys didn’t clean up the guest room where they would sleep.
In the second alleged victim’s testimony, the boy said Thompkins touched him inappropriately twice. The teen testified that on one occasion in August of this year, while the two were on the way to pick up another player, Thompkins grabbed the boy’s upper inner thigh while driving. The teen said he looked at Thompkins and asked him “What?” and Thompkins remained silent until he removed his hand from his thigh.
On the second occasion, which also occurred in August, the teen testified that Thompkins touched his thigh again while he and Thompkins were in his living room asleep at Thompkins’ home. The boy said he woke up to Thompkins’ hand rubbing on his upper thigh. The boy testified that after the incident, he fell back to sleep and he never spoke to Thompkins about him touching his body. He said he continued to train and stay at Thompkins home after the incident, but he would tell other players he was now skeptical about Thompkins. Sometime in September of 2023, the teen said, Thompkins kicked him out of the basketball group chat and the boy stopped training with him.
On October 17, Farmington Public Schools said in a statement: “Last week, Farmington High School learned of an allegation of potential improper conduct between a non-(Farmington Public Schools) employee basketball coach and some players. We immediately terminated the coach and revoked his credentials to access our facilities.”
Three other coaches — including Derrick McDowell, the high school’s varsity head basketball coach — were fired for not reporting the alleged misconduc
Wayne County prosecutors said that they believe the testimony from the two boys was egregious and showed predatory conduct. King said he agreed with the prosecutors before binding the case over to circuit court.
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