Jury awards $1.6 million in sexual abuse lawsuit against school officials

First published: 10:53 a.m. PDT, May 16, 2024

A New Jersey The jury has rejected sexual assault allegations contained in a civil lawsuit against Wasim Muhammad, a former teacher and current school board president. But the jury concluded that he and the district were negligent and awarded the plaintiff $1.6 million.

The plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, spoke to reporters after the verdict was announced Tuesday. “I’m glad I finally stood up for myself,” she said outside the courtroom of Justice John Kennedy of the New Jersey Supreme Court. “I hope the jury’s decision will make schools both in Camden and throughout New Jersey safer for children from sexual abuse.”

The woman had claimed she was repeatedly attacked by Mohammed, a prominent Muslim cleric, when she was in eighth grade. The jury concluded that Muhammed, then known as Donnie Walker, did not sexually assault the minor or have non-consensual sex with her, but concluded that he engaged in “reckless or intentional extreme and outrageous conduct” toward her had.

The jury also concluded that the district negligently supervised Mohammed and “created or permitted a sexually hostile educational environment” that was harmful to the former student.

Lawyers for Muhammad and the school district questioned the ruling and said their clients could appeal or request a new trial. Muhammad has denied all of the woman’s allegations.

Attorney Brian Budic, who represents Camden City Schools, said he didn’t understand how the jury could hold the district responsible when they also decided the plaintiff was not responsible sexually harassed from Muhammad when she was his student.

“To be honest, the jury’s verdict makes no sense,” Budic said Philadelphia Investigators. “How can the Camden City School District be held liable?”

At a press conference on Tuesday, Mohammed’s lawyer Troy Archie responded similarly.

“The whole case is based on the fact that she was a minor and was attacked by Don Walker,” Archie said. “If there’s a no to it, it should be a no across the board.”

Since the lawsuit was filed, Muhammad has been on leave from the school board. Gov. Phil Murphy has called for his resignation and repeated that call Tuesday.

“While we know the litigation is ongoing, the appalling and despicable nature of these allegations casts doubt on Mr. Muhammad’s ability to effectively serve the Camden City School District,” Murphy said in a statement. “The governor believes he should resign immediately.”

The allegations by the plaintiff, now a mother and teacher, made headlines across the country. The woman accused Muhammad of sexually abusing her since she was 13, when she was in middle school School and he was her seventh grade social studies teacher.

She claimed they began having sex in 1994 and he abused her for years. Specifically, she alleged that Mohammed had sex with her and one of his many wives and that he took her to a porn theater and forced her to have sex with a stranger while he watched and masturbated.

Muhammad testified during the trial that the plaintiff was one of several spiritual wives he had and that he did not have sex with her until he was 18 years old.

The woman denied being married to Mohammed. He said on the witness stand that he has one legal wife and currently has four clerical wives under his Islamic faith, which allows polygamy.

The plaintiff also stated that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. She said she only came forward with her allegations in 2020 because “I was very ashamed. I felt stupid. “I felt like no one would believe me,” the Inquirer reported.

“I’m glad the truth has come to light,” she said Tuesday, the newspaper reported. “I’ll never be the same again.”

A jury hearing is scheduled for June 17 to consider whether punitive damages should be awarded. Muhammad said he would remain on leave until the case was concluded.

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