A former Minnesota Teacher of the Year has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student.

Abdul Jameel Wright, 39, was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in September. He was given a 172-month prison sentence on Friday.

Wright sexually assaulted the student during the 2016-2017 school year, while he worked as an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Harvest Best Academy, a north Minneapolis charter school. He was named the 2016 Minnesota Teacher of the Year and later taught English at St. Louis Park High School.

The student, who's now 23, testified that she was assaulted by Wright many times, including at Harvest Best Academy, for almost a year. She reported the abuse in 2024.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office argued for

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