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Trial underway for former MN Teacher of the Year accused of sex abuse
Abdul Wright is a former Minnesota Teacher of the Year. He's accused of sexually abusing a former middle school student in 2017 when he was a teacher at Best Academy in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Best Academy student took the stand Monday afternoon to begin her testimony, accusing her former teacher, Abdul Wright, of sexually abusing her for nearly a year when she was 14 years old.
She gave detailed accounts of when and where the alleged abuse took place, including inside a storage closet at the Minneapolis charter school.
During opening statements, Wright’s defense team accused the student of lying and laid out their plan to characterize it as a "case of false allegations."
Abdul Wright sex abuse case
What we know:
Abdul Wright was charged with criminal sex conduct last year after the student’s mother told police that her daughter had been sexually abused by her teacher beginning in January 2017.
The abuse lasted almost a year, and took place inside a classroom, Wright’s car and the student’s family apartment, according to court records.
"He asked me if I was a virgin," the student told prosecutors during Monday’s testimony.
The FOX 9 Investigators agreed to refer to the former student as "Jane Doe" in order to protect her identity since she was a minor at the time and is named in court records as a victim of sexual abuse.
"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.
Audio recording reveals confrontation between teacher, family
An audio recording obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveals what happened when Jane Doe’s mother confronted Wright about the allegations. The recording is expected to be introduced as evidence in the criminal trial.
In an excerpt of the recorded conversation, Wright can be heard begging the family not to pursue legal action and that he had never done anything like that before.
"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, which is included in the court file.
What they're saying:
Wright pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree criminal sex conduct. In a statement, his attorney said Wright is "looking forward to his day in court."
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.
Jane Doe is now suing Wright alongside his former employer Best Academy and the school’s former leadership. 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.
Criminal trial continues Tuesday
Timeline:
The criminal trial continues Tuesday morning where additional testimony and evidence is expected to be presented. The judge will ultimately decide the outcome of the case alone, since Wright waived his right to a jury trial.