A MN Teacher of the Year is accused of sexual abuse. It's not the first time.
Prosecutors say Abdul Wright began abusing a 14-year-old student at Best Academy months after he was named the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators show two former teachers told police Wright sexually assaulted them inside the school several years earlier.
Wright resigned in 2012 but was allowed to return to the school shortly afterward, according to personnel records.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year now charged with sexually abusing a student previously faced allegations that he sexually assaulted two of his co-workers, according to police records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators.
What we know
Police and school records obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators detail more disturbing allegations involving Abdul Wright. The former Minnesota Teacher of the Year is scheduled to stand trial this summer on criminal sexual conduct charges. He is accused of grooming and sexually abusing one of his middle school students at Best Academy in Minneapolis in 2016. Some of the abuse took place inside the charter school, according to court records.
Police records show two former teachers at Best Academy told police they were also assaulted by Wright inside the school several years earlier.
What they're saying
One teacher told police and school leadership that Wright assaulted her inside a classroom in 2012.
"At one point he picked me up physically and pushed me against a desk," she said in a recent interview with the FOX 9 Investigators.
"I could feel his breath on my neck. He lifted my shirt, he put his mouth on me," she said. " I told him he needed to stop. He put my hand on his crotch and I told him no repeatedly."
She recorded a conversation with Wright in which he acknowledged that he should have stopped.
"When you told me to stop, right there is when I should have stopped," Wright said in the recording.
Wright told police he was getting "mixed messages" from his co-worker and that he had "never done anything like this before."
But as police were investigating, another teacher came forward and said she had also been assaulted by Wright inside the school.
"It was traumatizing," the second teacher said.
The FOX 9 Investigators agreed not to identify the teachers due to the sexual nature of the allegations.
The other side
Wright was not criminally charged in the case involving his co-workers.
Wright's attorney said in a recent statement that "the allegations against Mr. Wright are absolutely unfounded. We look forward to vigorously contesting them in court."
But after the second teacher came forward to police, Wright admitted they regularly had consensual sex inside the school.
"Easily over 25 times," Wright said in the recorded police interview. "Easily over 25–30 times."
That teacher confirmed some of their sexual interactions were consensual but said she also feared Wright.
"I didn't want to be alone in my classroom because I was afraid that Abdul would come in."
Police and school records show Best Academy was aware of the allegations at the time.
Dig deeper
Wright resigned from Best Academy in 2012 and the school indicated in emails he would "not be reinstated as an employee of Best Academy for the remainder of this school year." However, Wright returned to the school about a month later.
The teacher who first reported Wright to police said Best Academy offered to have a janitor escort her around school so she could "feel safe" coming to work.
"It was this acknowledgment of you 'you don't feel safe – and this isn't a safe person for you to be around – but we're still going to bring him back to the school,'" she said.
What we don't know
When contacted for comment, school leadership would not comment on why Wright was allowed to return to Best Academy shortly after those 2012 accusations.
The backstory
Wright continued to teach at the school for several years and was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2016.
Months afterward police say he began grooming his 14-year-old student and sexually abused her for nearly a year. Wright was charged last year and has pleaded not guilty to criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
The former student recently filed a lawsuit against Best Academy claiming the school "knew or should have known that Wright was a danger to children."
The student's father previously told the FOX 9 Investigators he alerted the school of his concerns about Wright in 2017, but they were rebuffed by the school's founder, Eric Mahmoud. Wright again continued to teach at Best Academy for several more years.
What's next
Best Academy is now looking for a new director after its board voted to remove Mahmoud in late March. The school is currently facing two lawsuits related to allegations of sexual abuse by former teachers.
Wright's criminal trial is scheduled for June.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Victim's girlfriend among 9 South Carolina teens arrested in 16-year-old's murder, alleged set up
Nine South Carolina teens were arrested in the June shooting death of a 16-year-old who authorities say was involved in an argument 'over a girl' with his alleged shooter, according to local reports. The victim's 17-year-old girlfriend is among the suspects. Florence County Sheriff's deputies found Trey Dean Wright of Johnsonville dead on First Neck Road with multiple gunshot wounds June 24, authorities said previously. He was found about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach. The following day, they arrested Devan Scott Raper, a 19-year-old from Conway, who allegedly fatally shot Wright after an argument. At least one teen involved reportedly recorded the slaying on video. And deputies continued to announce new arrests for weeks as the investigation dug deeper. 'All this court hearing and bond court and stuff is driving me crazy,' Wright's mother, Ashley Lindsey, told Fox News Digital. 'I don't even have time to sit down and think half the time, on top of losing my precious baby.' Now, an entire group of teens, many of them juveniles, are facing charges, some for allegedly setting Wright up and bringing Raper to the victim's location, knowing he was armed, according to authorities. 3 PICTURED: From left: Corrine Belviso, Devan Raper, Gianna Helene Kistenmacher, Hunter Kendall and Sydney Kearns. Florence County Sheriff's Office One of the suspects was Wright's girlfriend, Gianna Kistenmacher, a Myrtle Beach 17-year-old, his mother said. Kistenmacher was charged with being an accessory before the fact for allegedly bringing Raper to the crime scene knowing he was both armed and likely to kill her boyfriend, according to a press release from the sheriff's office. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment from Fox News Digital Wednesday. Prosecutors confirmed that nine teens had been charged but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation. 'They were complicit in bringing the armed codefendant, Raper, to the incident location and knowing that there would be a confrontation,' Maj. Michael Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff's Office told WBTW-TV, which is based in Florence. 'They knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him, according to the arrest warrants.' 3 Trey Dean Wright was found dead roughly 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach. 4kclips – He told the Post and Courier separately that, under state law, all five are charged as adults. Prosecutors filed additional murder charges against three more Myrtle Beach-area teens, identified as 18-year-olds Hunter Kendall and Corrine Belviso and 17-year-old Sydney Kearns, according to WBTW. 'The hand of one being the hand of all is part of South Carolina law as well, so that's the basis of the charge for each of those individuals,' Nunn told the station. Sheriff T.J. Joye told the station separately that the fatal shooting appeared to have stemmed from an argument and apparent romantic rivalry. 3 One of the suspects was Wright's girlfriend, according to his mother. gofundme 'They had issues with each other, and it was over a female,' he reportedly said. 'The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old that lost his life. You've got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Raper faces charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and is being held without bond. Kendall is also being held without bond. Belviso and Kearns each posted $20,000 surety bonds last week and have been released pending a trial.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
It's Election Day for Minnesotans, but did voters know that?
The Brief Tuesday was Election Day for tens of thousands of people in Minnesota, but voter turnout was very low. People in Minnesota House District 34B had the chance to pick the DFL candidate who would be expected to win assassinated Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman's seat in November. One voter told us he forgot today was the day of the primary. Election officials expected about 10% turnout. The state's turnout in November 2024 was 76%. BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - Election Day came Tuesday for tens of thousands of people in Minnesota today, but voters hit the polls in small numbers. Empty election Do they know? Even the race to replace assassinated DFL leader and Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman didn't draw a big 9 checked St. Paul, where there's an actual city council election, and in Brooklyn Park at the spot where the Hortmans would've voted, and every polling place was steady and slow. But election officials say that's more or less the expectation for an August election. 'Important' election To vote or not to vote Voters 100 and 101 of the day at the Riverview Early Childhood Center are former neighbors of the woman whose seat they're voting to fill. "We thought it was important to vote to fill Melissa's seat," said Brooklyn Park resident Bob Anderson. He and his wife were fairly lonely at the polls and, just a couple of miles away, a potential voter may have revealed why. "I'm a Melissa Hortman fan and a strong Democrat, so I know who I would vote for regardless of which of the three," Vukmanich said. Slow trickle Typical for August Election officials expect around 10% voter turnout for the primary and maybe twice as much in November. It was just a little busier in the race to elect a new St. Paul city council member for Ward 4. "It's really been steady," said Clara Rainer, a head election judge in Ramsey County. "Almost the whole day we've had at least a couple voters in." The slow trickle of voters is normal for an August election. Brooklyn Park city clerk Damon Montero said they had a 7.3% turnout in their last August primary. But it's a stark contrast from nine months ago when 76% of Minnesota's eligible voters cast ballots in the presidential race. "The last election we were here in November and where we're standing right now there were lines basically out the door," said Raineri. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Man shot five times while collecting pizza had '£30,000 contract on his head'
A man was arrested in connection to a fatal shooting was shot five times as he picked up a pizza. 18 years ago, Ryan Woolley was murdered while he collected his food at a takeaway on Picton Road, Wavertree in Liverpool. Despite three men standing trial for the alleged "gangland killing", no one has ever been convicted. Detectives believe that Mr Woolley was shot in the neck, face and chest as a getback for the killing of a Michael "Mikey" Wright, who was murdered in December 2006. Mr Woolley's brother Philip was convicted of being the "executioner or executioner's assistant" when Mr Wright was shot at close-range as he sat eating his food outside KFC at Croxteth's Stonedale retail park in December 2006, the ECHO reports.. READ MORE: Kate Garraway thanks 'gallant stranger' for selfless act at Oasis gig READ MORE: UK tourists travelling to 29 European countries face strict new rules Ryan Woolley was also arrested during the investigation into Mr Wright's murder. But the senior prosecutor during the trial into his own murder told jurors there was no good evidence to link him to the killing. He told the jury: "There are those who do not want to rely on the proper rules of law which apply to the rest of us. "Thus it would appear Ryan Woolley became a target not for the police, whose job it is to enforce the law, but for others who prefer to live outside it. A contract was put out on Ryan Woolley's head and his death seems to have been the consequence of it." On the day of his death, on August 11 2007, Mr Woolley spent the day drinking on Wavertree High Street with two men who would eventually go on to stand trial for the murder. The drinking resumed in the evening, but at around 9.45pm, one of the two former suspects said he needed to return home because of a police curfew. He told Mr Woolley to collect the pizzas over fears of being arrested and, during that time, it is alleged he summoned a hitman, who was accused of lying in wait in a gated alleyway off Taunton Street. CCTV captured Mr Woolley waiting in Prime Pizza, but just 25 seconds after he left the shop, five loud shots rang out. Mr Woolley, who was three days off his 21st birthday, died instantly. A post-mortem later showed Mr Woolley was shot first from behind through his neck. A second bullet went into his chin and three more bullets were fired into his body. Speaking to the ECHO previously from her Walton home, Mr Woolley's mum Kim said she had no idea why her son was in Wavertree as he had no friends in the area. She said: "His brother spoke to him later that night and told him to get back to his own end of town. People have assumed that this has happened because of Philip, but as far as we know it could be something completely different." The three suspects charged with Mr Woolley's murder went on trial in April 2009. But at the end of the prosecution's case two weeks later, where the court heard a £30,000 contract was on his head, their legal teams argued there was no case to answer based on the evidence put before the court. High Court judge Mr Justice Pitchford threw the case out but the Crown Prosecution Service took his decision to the Court of Appeal, but they lost their challenge. Discharging the jury and acquitting the defendants, Justice Pitchford said he had come to the conclusion that there was "practically no" evidence that one of the men standing trial was the gunman. Following the acquittal, Merseyside Police said the case remained open and "detectives would still like to speak to anybody who has information about the murder of Ryan Woolley". The force had not re-appealed for more information regarding the murder, until the ECHO requested an update on the investigation this week. Howard Rubbery, head of Merseyside Police's serious crime review unit, told the ECHO: "The murder of Ryan Woolley in 2007 is subject to regular reviews by the unit and we would always investigate any new leads or information. We know, as in many cases, that our communities often hold the information which is vital to our enquiries. "Ryan was only a young man and his death left his family and friends devastated. Any small amount of information could be the key to getting justice for them." It is still believed the shooting of Mr Woolley was linked to the murder of Mr Wright just months before. Underworld figure David Hibbs-Turner, described as the "principal architect and controlling mind" behind a wave of crime and terror, was convicted of ordering the shooting of Mr Wright. A trial heard Hibbs-Turner had a longstanding personal hatred of Mr Wright because his girlfriend previously dated him and the pair had a child together. Philip Woolley, who the court heard had an IQ of just 68 and was described as "suffering a significant mental impairment", was also sentenced and told he would have to serve a minimum term of 24 years in prison. Following a retrial, Mark Richardson and Paul Hollands were jailed for life for their part in the shooting, serving 28 and 25 years respectively. The judge said the shooting of Mr Wright was "a deliberate, ruthless and cowardly execution". Anyone with information about Ryan Woolley's murder is asked to DM @MerPolCC or call 101. Information can also be passed on anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
