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Teacher guilty of sex crime to be sentenced
Former teacher Abdul Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday for sexually abusing his middle school student in 2017 for nearly a year. FOX 9 investigative reporter Nathan O'Neal has the latest report.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year could face more than a decade behind bars for sexually abusing his middle school student.
Abdul Wright convicted of sexual misconduct with student
What we know:
A district judge found Abdul Wright guilty last month of sexually abusing a 14-year-old student while he was a teacher at Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis.
The student testified during the trial how the sexual abuse lasted for nearly a year and took place on multiple occasions, including inside the classroom.
Wright was named the Minnesota Teacher of the Year for 2016. He started sexually abusing the student the following year, according to court records.
"I think that his status and him being Teacher of the Year really was a reason that a lot of people turned a blind eye," the student previously told the FOX 9 Investigators. She described the relationship as "manipulative" and "grooming."
Evidence introduced during the trial included multiple gifts or tokens of affection, including a charm bracelet with an infinity symbol and the words "forever friends."
Prosecutors also questioned Wright about hundreds of calls with the student, which the family told the school about years ago.
"A phone record that was insane – it was all time of day, all time of night," the student’s father told the FOX 9 Investigators. "All of his behavior was hiding in plain sight."
One of the most consequential pieces of evidence was an incriminating phone call between Wright and the student’s mother where Wright appeared to admit to the abuse.
"I aint never did no [expletive] like that before and I thank God this morning when I didn’t have the police at my door," Wright said during the recorded call.
What they're saying:
In her written verdict, Judge Sarah West said that recording helped prove Wright lied on the stand when he claimed his innocence.
"It appeared to this court that Mr. Wright was lying during his testimony and truthful during the record[ed] call," Judge West said.
Judge West issued the verdict because Wright waived his right to a jury trial.
What's next:
Wright is set to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 17. Under state sentencing guidelines, he could face up to 14 years in prison and be required to register as a sex offender.
Dig deeper:
A spokesperson for Harvest Best Academy said in a statement that the school is "thankful that Wright has been held accountable for his actions."
The school is also the subject of a civil lawsuit for not doing enough to protect the student.