MINNEAPOLIS — A man who won the award for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2016 is now facing felony charges of criminal sexual conduct after a former student accused him of sexual assault.
Abdul Jameel Wright was charged after the victim's mother filed a report in May. She told investigators her daughter, who at the time was 14 and Wright's eighth-grade student at Harvest Best Academy, was assaulted.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim told authorities she was groomed. She said she was singled out and given special treatment before the alleged assaults began. The student also alleged some of the abuse took place in the classroom. She said the abuse ended around the time she entered ninth grade.
In 2016, Wright was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year. According to the criminal complaint, the assaults began several months after he was announced for the award.
Dr. Heather Campbell and Jennifer Niemi, co-chairs of the Minnesota Teacher of the Year program, released a statement Wednesday evening saying they were "shocked and saddened" by the charges against Wright.
"Minnesota schools should be the safest place for children in their communities and anything that endangers or harms them, we condemn unequivocally," the statement reads, in part. “At this time, we will withhold any further comment or action while the investigation into this matter proceeds.”
Harvest Best sent KARE 11 the following statement:
“Harvest Best Academy was notified that charges were filed today in Hennepin County Court against a former teacher at our school, Abdul Wright. He has not been employed at Best Academy since 2021. These allegations stem from an encounter eight years ago.
Wright was formally charged with sexual misconduct involving a former Best Academy student. At this time, we are gathering all available information and facts related to these allegations. We are limited in what we can share until this thorough investigation has been conducted and we are fully cooperating with all authorities.
We understand these allegations may be concerning, and our top priority remains the safety and security of our school community. We are committed to ensuring that our learning environment remains safe, supportive, and conducive to the success of all our students and staff members.
Harvest Best Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Minneapolis that builds strong foundations to help students graduate from high school, graduate from college, and successfully transition to a career. It is among the highest-performing schools for African Americans in Minnesota and is founded on a culture of high expectations for its students that also celebrates academic achievement.”
Wright's attorney sent KARE 11 the following statement: “While we acknowledge the serious nature of these charges, without having seen the evidence, now is not the appropriate time to comment on the case.”