A New Jersey jury has awarded $1.6 million to a woman who sued Camden City Schools and Wasim Muhammad, a former teacher who is currently school board president. The woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by Muhammad, but the jury rejected those claims.
A New Jersey jury has rejected sexual assault claims contained in a civil lawsuit against Wasim Muhammad, a former teacher and current school board president. But jurors did find that he and the district were negligent and awarded $1.6 million to the woman who sued.
The plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, spoke to reporters after Tuesday's verdict was announced. “I’m gratified that I stood up for myself, finally,” she said outside of New Jersey Superior Court Judge John Kennedy's courtroom. “It is my hope that the jury’s decision will make schools safer for children against sexual abuse, both in Camden and throughout New Jersey.”
The woman had alleged she was repeatedly assaulted by Muhammad, who is a prominent Muslim minister, when she was his eighth-grade student. Jurors ruled that Muhammed, known then as Donnie Walker, had not sexually assaulted or engaged in nonconsensual sex with the minor, but did find he “recklessly or intentionally committed extreme and outrageous conduct” on her.
The jury also found that the district was negligent in supervising Muhammad, and “created or permitted a sexually hostile educational environment” that harmed the former student.
Attorneys for Muhammad and the school district questioned the verdict and said their clients may appeal or request a new trial. Muhammad has denied all of the woman's allegations.
Lawyer Brian Budic, who represents Camden City Schools, said he didn't understand how jurors held the district responsible when they also ruled the plaintiff was not sexually assaulted by Muhammad while she was his student.
“The jury verdict, frankly, makes no sense,” Budic said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “How can Camden City School District be held liable?”
At a Tuesday press conference, Muhammad's attorney, Troy Archie, similarly responded.
“The whole case is based on her being underage and being assaulted by Don Walker,” Archie said. “If it’s a no on that, it should be no across the board.”
Muhammad has been on leave from the school board since the lawsuit was filed. Gov. Phil Murphy has called for his resignation and he repeated that request on Tuesday.
“While we understand litigation is ongoing, the appalling and heinous 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 immediately resign.”
The allegations by the plaintiff, now a mother and school teacher, drew national headlines. The woman accused Muhammad of sexually abusing her beginning at age 13 while she was in middle school and he was her seventh-grade social studies teacher.
She claimed they started having sex in 1994, and that he abused her for years. Specifically, she alleged Muhammad 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 as he watched and masturbated.
Muhammad testified during the trial that the plaintiff was one of several spiritual wives he had, and that he had not had sex with her until she was 18.
The woman denied being married to Muhammad. He said on the stand that he has one legal wife, and currently has four spiritual wives under his Islamic faith, which allows polygamy.
The plaintiff also said she suffers PTSD. She said she didn't come forward with her allegations until 2020, because “I felt very shamed. I felt stupid. I felt like nobody would believe me," the Inquirer reported.
“I’m happy that the truth came out,” she said Tuesday, the newspaper reported. “I’ll never be the same.”
A June 17 hearing is scheduled for jurors to consider whether punitive damages should be awarded. Muhammad said he will remain on leave until the case is concluded.
Related Stories
