FAYETTEVILLE, NC – A civil jury will reassess allegations by Miya Giles-Jones, a former high school basketball star, against her ex-coach after a previous verdict was invalidated due to juror misconduct.
Giles-Jones, who played as a point guard at Terry Sanford High School and later joined Fordham Women’s Basketball as a redshirt freshman, claims Thurston Jackie Robinson, her former coach, engaged in sexual misconduct, including inappropriate touching and exposure.
The initial trial, which concluded in May with a ruling in favor of Robinson, was recently overturned by Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Robby Hicks.
The decision for a retrial, set for Monday, came after revelations of inappropriate conduct by a juror who attempted to date one of the trial’s witnesses, thus compromising the fairness of the proceedings.
Details from the motion for a new trial reveal that the juror contacted a witness electronically during the trial, seeking a romantic relationship, an act which the court recognized as prejudicial against Giles-Jones, warranting another trial.