Teacher of the Year found guilty in sexual abuse of former student
Former MN Teacher of the Year guilty of sex abuse
A man who once held the title of Minnesota's "Teacher of the Year" was found guilty of sexually abusing a former student. FOX 9 investigative reporter Nathan O'Neal has the latest report.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year is guilty of sexually abusing his former 14-year-old student, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Abdul Wright sexual abuse criminal trial
What we know:
Abdul Wright was charged with criminal sexual conduct last year after the student’s mother told police that her daughter had been sexually abused by her teacher beginning in January 2017.
Wright was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a judge read the guilty verdict.
Wright waived his right to a jury trial.
During the criminal trial – which wrapped up last week – the student testified that Wright began sexually abusing her shortly after he was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
The student testified that Wright sexually abused her at least "50 times" over the course of several months at a house Wright was temporarily living in. She also told the judge that Wright had her take emergency contraceptives weekly while the sexual abuse was ongoing.
The abuse lasted almost a year, according to the student’s testimony, and took place inside a classroom at Best Academy in Minneapolis, inside Wright’s car, and at the student’s family apartment.
What they're saying:
The student’s father welcomed the guilty verdict, telling the FOX 9 Investigators that "justice prevailed."
The student’s civil attorneys applauded Jane Doe who "chose to use her voice to courageously expose Abdul Wright’s violations."
Jane Doe is now suing Wright alongside his former employer Best Academy and the school’s former leadership.
"Children are safer because of the bravery of [Jane Doe]," said attorney Jeff Anderson.
The other side:
Wright’s legal defense hinged on the claim that the student's entire story was "fabricated."
"I never had sexual contact with [the student] whatsoever," Wright testified during the trial.
However, prosecutors argued that the student’s testimony was "sincere" and "credible."
"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," Jane Doe said in a recent interview.
The FOX 9 Investigators agreed to refer to the former student as "Jane Doe" to protect her identity since she was a minor at the time and is named in court records as a victim of sexual abuse.
Wright admits to sexual abuse in audio recordings
Teacher of Year sex abuse trial
A former Minneapolis charter school teacher who was Teacher of the Year, is set to go on trial Monday.
During audio recordings of a conversation between Wright and the student’s mother, Wright can be heard admitting to having sex with the 14-year-old girl and begging the mother not to pursue legal action.
The recordings were played in open court during the trial.
"I thank God this morning when I didn't have the police at my door, I swear to God I did," Wright said on the recording.
However, when Wright was questioned about the recordings on the stand he said he lied during the recorded conversation "to make the allegation go away" at the time, according to a court transcript.
The backstory:
The FOX 9 Investigators previously reported how Jane Doe’s father took his concerns about Wright to school leadership and ultimately sought a restraining order.
The civil lawsuit claims the Minneapolis charter school "knew or should have known that Wright was a danger to children."
Dig deeper:
Records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators show two former Best Academy teachers told police Wright sexually assaulted them inside the school several years earlier.
Wright was not charged with a crime in either case.
He resigned from his teaching position at Best Academy in 2012 but was allowed to return to the school shortly afterward, according to personnel records.
What's next:
Wright will be sentenced on Oct 9. He faces up to 14 years in prison under the sentencing guidelines, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.