Former Minnesota ‘Teacher of the Year’ Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Student

A former Minnesota teacher of the year has been found guilty of sexually abusing a child who was his student in 2017.

On Wednesday, Abdul J. Wright, 39, was placed in handcuffs by a Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy immediately after the verdict was read. Wright was taken into custody where he awaits sentencing next month. Under state guidelines, he faces 12 to 14 years in prison for first degree criminal sexual conduct, Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) reported Wednesday.

County prosecutors brought charges last year after the victim’s mother recorded two phone conversations in May 2024 in which Wright admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim, according to court records. The victim, now 22, was in eighth grade at the time of the abuse. Wright was her language arts teacher at Harvest Best Academy and had just been named Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year. She was only 14 years old.

During her testimony last month, the woman said Wright singled her out, asked her to babysit his daughters while he attended meetings, and worked to gain her mother’s trust. She testified that he began sending her inappropriate text messages in December 2016. “He made comments about my clothes, how they fit,” she said. Asked how that made her feel, she replied, “Definitely confused. I felt like the dynamic was still like I’m a child and he’s an adult. I’m not really sure what’s happening, but if he’s making it OK I guess it’s fine.” She told jurors that Wright sexually assaulted her multiple times, often after school hours in classrooms at Harvest Best Academy.

Wright taught at Harvest Best for more than a decade before later moving on to St. Louis Park High School. He left that district in early 2024 when the allegations became public.

After the verdict, the victim’s grandmother Sharon Evans said she was glad “justice been served” but questioned why the Minneapolis Police Department failed to act on police reports she filed in 2017. “Well, eight years later, ain’t nobody called me yet,” she said.

In March, the school board removed the founder of what is now Harvest Best Academy after allegations surfaced that he failed to act on parent and staff complaints about Wright. A separate civil lawsuit is still pending against Wright and Harvest Best. The victim’s father also sought a restraining order against Wright in 2017 and reached a settlement limiting Wright’s contact with her.

Harvest Best Academy has faced other scandals. In 2021, teacher Aaron Hjermstad, who had worked for a school now under Harvest Best, was convicted of sexually abusing four boys. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Last month, Hjermstad pleaded guilty to abusing 12 additional victims under the age of 13 while coaching and teaching at charter schools, including Harvest Best. He agreed to a life sentence and is scheduled for sentencing in November.

In a statement after Wright’s guilty verdict, Harvest Best Academy said it “is thankful that Wright has been held accountable for his actions. We continue to express concern for the victim and the victim’s family. This incident has also been a challenge for our entire school community.” The school added that it will provide support resources for students and staff as the community works to move forward.

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