Former Minnesota Teacher of the Year Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault
A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Abdul Jameel Wright, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting his eighth-grade student at a Minneapolis charter school nearly a decade ago. The victim, who was 14 years old when the assaults began, came forward with the allegations in May 2024, at the age of 21.
The assaults occurred in school classrooms, Wright’s car, and elsewhere in Hennepin County, and lasted for nearly a year. Wright, 39, of Brooklyn Park, was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct by a person in a position of authority and was found guilty by Judge Sarah West in September.
Abuse of Authority and Grooming
According to court documents, Wright began “grooming” the victim by singling her out and developing a relationship with her and her mother. He would call the girl every day, pick her up from school, and drop her off at home after she babysat his children. The sexual contact began in January 2017 and ended around the time the victim entered ninth grade.
The victim reported that Wright would put cushions on the floor of a classroom before the assaults, and that one of the incidents occurred while his children were in the next room watching a movie. The victim testified that she did not fully understand the extent of Wright’s abuse until she was in college, where she learned about grooming in a psychology course.
Sentence and Aftermath
State sentencing guidelines called for a presumptive sentence of 12 years in prison, but the prosecution asked for a 14-year, three-month sentence, which Judge West handed down. After incarceration, Wright will be required to register as a predatory offender and be on conditional release for 10 years.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty stated, “Mr. Wright abused his authority and engaged in grossly inappropriate behavior. My thoughts are with the victim in this case, who exhibited incredible courage in providing her testimony to help secure a conviction.”
Wright was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year in September 2016, becoming the first charter school teacher to receive the honor. He joined the North Minneapolis school in 2012, with a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in St. Paul.
Abdul Jameel Wright (Courtesy of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
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