Former Teacher Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Teen Student

Sep 11

A Hennepin County judge has found a Brooklyn Park man guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage student while serving as her teacher at a Minneapolis charter school.

Abdul Jameel Wright, 39, was found guilty earlier this week of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly assaulting a 14-year-old girl while she was in his eighth-grade English class at Harvest Best Academy.

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The abuse occurred between 2016 and 2017, according to court records. Prosecutors said Wright used his position of authority to “groom” the girl, gaining the trust of her family and arranging situations in which he could be alone with her. The victim testified that the assaults took place at the school, in Wright’s car, at a residence where he was staying and once at her mother’s apartment.

Police began investigating in May 2024 after the victim’s mother reported the abuse. The girl, now an adult, told investigators Wright began grooming her when she was in eighth grade, giving her special treatment, calling her daily and building a relationship with her mother so he could spend time with her outside of school, the court records say. The victim told investigators that Wright often invited her to eat lunch in his classroom and later arranged for her to babysit his children.

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In her statement to police and a forensic interviewer, the victim recounted that the sexual contact began after one of those babysitting arrangements, when Wright’s children were not present. She said it escalated from kissing and touching over her clothes to penetration. She said Wright’s children were in a nearby room watching a movie when the first assault occurred. The victim told authorities that Wright continued to engage in sexual intercourse with her for nearly a year.

“My thoughts are with the victim of Mr. Wright’s harmful and grossly inappropriate conduct. Her testimony was an act of courage,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “Mr. Wright abused his authority, and the trust placed in him as a teacher. The sentence that follows will protect our community and hold him accountable for his actions.”

Under Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, Wright faces a presumptive prison term of 144 months, or 12 years, though the court has discretion to increase it to 172 months. He will also be required to register as a predatory offender and serve 10 years of conditional release after prison.

Wright’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8 in Hennepin County District Court.

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