Federal Lawsuit Filed Against NY Private School and Former Teacher

A civil lawsuit was filed on Thursday in federal court against a New York private school with a tuition of $60,000 per year and a former teacher, Winston Nguyen, who was arrested in June 2024. He faces allegations of sending nude photos of two teenage girls on Snapchat as “revenge porn.”

The lawsuit, brought by two female students who are not enrolled at the same school, claims Nguyen pretended to be a teenage boy online to solicit nude photos and videos from the girls, which he later distributed among students. The school is accused of characterizing parents’ complaints about Nguyen as “racist,” according to the lawsuit and various news outlets.

In a shocking turn, Nguyen was employed by the school in 2020 despite having previously served time for defrauding an elderly couple out of $300,000. He spent four months in prison just a year before starting at St. Anne’s School.

Nguyen gained some notoriety for appearing on the game show “Jeopardy!” in July 2014, where he was a champion.

Prosecutors allege that Nguyen used Snapchat to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations while posing as a teenage boy, convincing them to send nude images and videos. The victims were between 13 and 15 years old, and these crimes occurred between October 2022 and May 2024.

Nguyen is currently serving a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to felony charges and several misdemeanors last year, as per the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

While posing as a teen online, he reportedly exhibited predatory behavior as a teacher, giving students gifts and interacting with them on social media.

When concerns were raised by parents and staff about his conduct, those who spoke up allegedly faced termination or were labeled as “not progressive.” This information came to light in a 2024 law firm report commissioned by the school after Nguyen’s arrest.

Nguyen, the child of Vietnamese immigrants, is being sued alongside St. Anne’s School and several administrators.

St. Anne’s is known for its rigorous academic preparation for Ivy League admissions and counts among its alumni many artists, celebrities, and Wall Street executives. The school has faced significant turmoil due to this scandal over the past two years.

The girls involved in the lawsuit, who were not students at St. Anne’s but became victims of Nguyen’s online actions, claim the school leaders failed to respond adequately to multiple warnings regarding his behavior.

Nguyen was apprehended in June 2024, after the teenage victims reported their experiences to the police.

This lawsuit represents the first instance where some of Nguyen’s victims have publicly discussed what happened to them.

The lawsuit outlines how Nguyen gained trust by masquerading as a teenage boy online and creating a Snapchat network that included many students from St. Anne’s and other private schools in Brooklyn.

He engaged with his female students constantly, even while presumably teaching at St. Anne’s, often sharing personal struggles to build rapport.

Ultimately, this grooming led to requests for nude photos and videos.

The victims perceived Nguyen as a trusted peer and felt pressured to comply, given his expansive network connected to their school.

Following their departure from Nguyen’s online circle, he exploited the situation by threatening to share their images with other students.

In early 2024, St. Anne’s administration was informed twice about the distribution of these inappropriate images via Snapchat but reportedly took minimal action and did not involve law enforcement.

The complaint states, “Only the school was aware of both the revenge porn distribution and Nguyen’s history of misconduct.”

Nguyen began working as an office clerk in 2020 before transitioning to a middle school math teacher. The complaint claims that school administrators were aware of his criminal record when they hired him.

Reports indicate that at least one staff member cautioned against hiring Nguyen due to his past.

School officials allegedly also recognized that Nguyen engaged with students on campus and displayed concerning behavior that raised red flags.

Joshua Perry, the attorney for the girls, contended that St. Anne’s leadership repeatedly overlooked warning signs about Nguyen’s conduct.

“The school disregarded all the red flags and enabled a known predator,” Perry stated.

The girls, referred to as Jane and Joan in court documents, are reportedly suffering from significant emotional distress due to the events.

“They’ve been traumatized—devastated, anxious, and ashamed,” Perry expressed. “But they’re incredibly brave for speaking out.”

Their statements were read during Nguyen’s sentencing last year, with one victim saying, “My pictures as a naked preteen will be on the internet forever. You ruined my life.”

Nguyen’s attorney indicated that while he is currently poor and incarcerated, he acknowledges potential liability to the school.

“At the very least, they should have paused to consider whether he was the right fit for this role,” the attorney remarked.

St. Anne’s, noted for its innovative education and vibrant arts program, has faced prior allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2019, the school formally acknowledged allegations involving multiple former teachers accused of inappropriate behavior.

In response to the current lawsuit, St. Anne’s issued a statement claiming it contains inaccuracies regarding the school’s involvement, asserting they plan to contest it through legal means.

Perry has expressed hope that additional victims will come forward but has accused the school of discouraging them from doing so.

“St. Anne’s released a predator among the children of Brooklyn,” he remarked. “They can’t hide behind their elite status.”