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Crime, Law and Justice
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Former Minnesota Teacher of the Year charged with sexually assaulting student

Abdul Wright
Abdul Wright, 29, a teacher at Best Academy in Minneapolis, accepts the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award in Bloomington on May 15, 2016.
Matt Sepic | MPR News

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Minnesota’s 2016 Teacher of the Year is facing charges that allege he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old student in 2017.

Abdul Jameel Wright was charged with first degree criminal sex conduct in Hennepin County late last week.

The charging documents allege that Wright, now 38, assaulted one of his students while he was an eighth-grade English teacher at Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis. The charges say the student’s mother reported it to police earlier this year.

According to the criminal complaint, the former student told officers that Wright singled her out, inviting her to spend time in his classroom and later to come to his home. The student described the behavior as “grooming.”

She said Wright then sexually assaulted her regularly over the course of a year, until around the time she started ninth grade.

Harvest Best Academy said in a statement that Wright has not been employed there since 2021. The school said staff are gathering information about the allegations. 

“We are limited in what we can share until this thorough investigation has been conducted and we are fully cooperating with all authorities,” Harvest Best wrote. “We understand these allegations may be concerning, and our top priority remains the safety and security of our school community.”

Wright is not in custody. His first court appearance is scheduled for later this month. 

A 24-hour statewide sexual violence and domestic violence hotline is available in Minnesota. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.