Prominent NJ school official accused of grooming student for years will get trial

🔴 A lawsuit accuses a school official, former teacher, and minister of sexual abuse

🔴 Documents laid out shocking accusations that include his wife

🔴 A $1,000,000 settlement was rejected

CAMDEN — A prominent school board official will see his day in court next month on accusations that he groomed and sexually abused a student for over a decade beginning when she was in eighth grade, according to court documents.

Wasim Muhammad, a former social studies teacher at Cooper B. Hatch Middle School in Camden, frequently brought the young girl to motels and his home for sex beginning in 1994, according to the lawsuit filed in Camden County Superior Court.

The lawsuit names Muhammad and the Camden City School District as defendants; the former student claims other employees at the schools knew about the sexual abuse and did nothing to stop it.

Shocking accusations in court documents

According to the lawsuit, Muhammad began grooming his student with frequent compliments and excuses for her to stay after class. During one of the student's extended stays, he kissed the 15-year-old and grabbed her genitalia, according to the documents.

This happened several times until it escalated to Muhammad telling the student to skip class so he could take her to motels for sex, the lawsuit said. It stated that he told the young girl that she was his "girlfriend" but that she couldn't tell anyone about their relationship.

Once the student began attending Camden High School the next year, Muhammad had her come to his house before and after school almost daily, according to the suit.

The student then moved away with her family to Georgia after completing ninth grade; twice Muhammad drove there to visit her, the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, Muhammad then convinced the girl to move back to New Jersey in 1997.

Muhammad and his wife then both engaged in sexual activity with the teenager, according to the suit.

Later, he brought the former student to a pornographic theater and forced her to have sex with another man in the bathroom while he watched, according to the lawsuit.

Court documents said the victim, who was 44 years old as of August 2023, was left with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and panic disorder.

Prominent Camden community member named in lawsuit

Formerly known as Don Walker, Muhammad has been president of the Camden City School District advisory board since April 2020 and is a Nation of Islam minister at Muhammad University of Islam School No. 20 in Camden, which he established in 2011.

The Camden High School graduate also helped found Cure4Camden, a local anti-violence group that collaborates with School No. 20.

An attorney for Muhammad, Troy Archie, said to NJ.com that the accusations against his client are being made nearly 30 years after the sexual abuse is said to have happened and that the case has no evidence and is based on hearsay.

$1 million settlement rejected

An arbitrator wrote up a settlement that would have given the accuser a total of $1 million. Camden schools would have been responsible for 40% of the damages while Muhammad would have been on the hook for 60%, or $600,000.

Each party including the former student, the school district, and Muhammad rejected the deal.

A trial date for the civil suit is scheduled for Feb. 5.

Revealed in the arbitration was the name of one teacher whom the former student claims knew about the ongoing sexual abuse but did not report it. The teacher also had a sexual relationship with Muhammad, according to the document.

A spokesperson for the Camden City School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The document dated Aug. 30, 2023, also states that the grooming and abuse began in 1992 when the former student was in seventh grade, instead of 1994 when she was in eighth grade as claimed in the civil complaint. The discrepancy is not explained.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom