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A former teacher at Ferndale High School can be tried for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after students claimed he pinched their buttocks, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.
The court, in a 3-0 ruling released Monday in Lansing, rejected the claims of Phillip Premo that pinching is not covered by fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct because it does not constitute force or coercion.
“We believe that the act of pinching is an act of physical force because it requires a person to exert strength or power on another person,” the ruling said.
The ruling said that the three fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charges against Premo arose from complaints from three girls.
