Former Minnesota Teacher of the Year Sentenced For Sex Assault

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting one of his students.

The criminal complaint against 39-year-old Abdul Jameel Wright was filed in August of last year in Hennepin County Court. It says Minneapolis police began investigating him four months earlier after being contacted by a woman who reported that her daughter had been sexually assaulted by her teacher in 2017.

Wright Accused of Grooming and Abusing 14-Year-Old Student

The court document says the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, told investigators that Wright was her eighth-grade English teacher at Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis. She described his behavior as “grooming” and stated that Wright even developed a close relationship with her mother so he could be trusted to take her places and have her stay after school to babysit his children.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim told investigators that Wright eventually began to touch her sexually when he took her home, which led to repeated sexual assaults over a period lasting nearly a year. The victim stated that the sexual abuse occurred at multiple locations in Hennepin County, including the school.

Education Minnesota Honored Wright in 2016

Wright was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and was found guilty following a court trial last month.

His sentencing hearing was held on Friday, and the judge granted the prosecution’s request for a 172-month prison term.

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Wright was honored by the Education Minnesota teacher’s union as Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2016.