Best Academy sued over Minnesota Teacher of the Year sexual abuse allegations
Charter school sued over abuse allegations
A former student filed a civil lawsuit against Minneapolis charter school Best Academy and her former teacher Abdul Wright after she accused him of sexually abusing her for nearly a year.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former student filed a civil lawsuit against Minneapolis charter school Best Academy and her former teacher Abdul Wright after she accused him of sexually abusing her for nearly a year.
Lawsuit: Best Academy knew teacher wasn’t fit to work with children
The backstory:
The lawsuit claims the Minneapolis charter school "knew or should have known that Wright was a danger to children before he sexually abused [the student]."
Wright is facing criminal charges after police say he sexually abused his former student who was 14 years old at the time.
The alleged abuse took place months after Wright was named 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, including inside the school, inside Wright’s car, and outside of school.
Charter school sued over sex abuse allegations [RAW]
A former student filed a civil lawsuit against Minneapolis charter school Best Academy and her former teacher Abdul Wright after she accused him of sexually abusing her for nearly a year. Jeff Anderson & Associates held a press conference announcing the lawsuit.
"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 said in a recent interview.
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.
What they're saying:
Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing Jane Doe, said her family implored the school to take action but were rebuffed because Wright was "revered in the community."
The lawsuit details a 2017 meeting between Best Academy’s Founder Eric Mahmoud and the student’s father, who said his concerns were "dismissed completely" by the school.
"This report was the kind of thing that would require immediate mandatory reporting by Eric Mahmood as the founder and the head of the school and as an educator and, of course, to law enforcement," Anderson told the FOX 9 Investigators.
Wright’s personnel file shows no record he was ever disciplined by the school for the accusations. Jane Doe said the abuse continued and Wright went on to teach at Best Academy for years.
Teacher of the Year sex abuse case
Harvest Best Academy student accused her middle school English teacher of "grooming" and sexually abusing her months after he had been named Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2016.
The other side:
Wright pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and his attorney said they are "looking forward to his day in court."
A spokesperson for Best Academy said: "While the school is limited in what information it can share, our legal team is reviewing the lawsuit to determine the next steps. The school takes these claims very seriously."
What's next:
Abdul Wright’s criminal trial is scheduled for this summer.
Dig deeper:
The Minnesota Supreme Court recently ruled that Best Academy can be sued for hiring a different teacher later convicted of sex abuse.