Teacher of the Year sex abuse trial set to begin
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.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Minneapolis charter school teacher is scheduled to stand trial this week on charges that he sexually abused his former middle school student for almost a year.
What we know:
Abdul Wright was charged with criminal sex conduct last year after the student’s mother told police that her daughter, who was 14 years old at the time, 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.
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.
An audio recording obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveals what happened when Jane Doe’s mother confronted Wright about the allegations.
Audio recording reveals confrontation between teacher and family
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.