Camden school board president says he will take leave pending the outcome of the sexual assault civil trial against him

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy has called for Camden Advisory School Board president Wasim Muhammad to resign immediately, citing “the appalling and heinous nature” of allegations that Muhammad abused a former female student for years.

In a statement, however, Muhammad’s attorney said Muhammad would take a leave of absence from the board, pending the outcome of his civil trial on allegations that he sexually assaulted his former student when he was her teacher starting in 1994 at Cooper B. Hatch Middle School. He has denied the allegations.

“During that period of time, he will be focused on the case and will not have any contact with the board or the district administration,” his attorney, Troy Archie, said Thursday. “He does not want to distract from the business of the school district during this period of time and will reassess his elected position once the issues are remedied.”

» READ MORE: A former student has alleged sexual abuse for years by current Camden Advisory School Board president

The action followed Murphy’s statement to The Inquirer in response to questions about the sexual abuse allegations. The troubled school system has operated under a 2013 state takeover that stripped the nine-member school board of its governing authority.

“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’s spokesperson Maggie Garbarino said in a statement.

The plaintiff, named Jane Doe in the lawsuit to keep her identity confidential, said in a statement through her lawyer, Jeffrey Fritz, “After counseling, I was able to come forward after decades of being silenced by fear and embarrassment. I spoke out to protect children and am encouraged by Gov. Murphy’s support for the safety of children and to call for the immediate resignation of Camden’s school board president.”

Muhammad did not respond to messages Thursday seeking comment. He has served on the board since 2013 and has been president since 2020. The board serves in an advisory capacity and has no real authority to make and enact changes. State-appointed Superintendent Katrina McCombs runs the district.

Spokespeople for the state Department of Education did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Camden school district spokesperson Sheena Yera said, “We acknowledge the troubling nature of these allegations; our utmost priority is — and will always be — protecting the safety and welfare of our students and families.”

She said vice president N’Namdee Nelson will serve as interim president on the advisory board, which will now be down to six active members. Falio Leyba-Martinez resigned after he was elected to City Council in November. Clayton Gonzalez stepped down in November after his arrest on gun-related charges in a domestic violence case. Gonzalez was placed on leave from his city job as a recreation supervisor, said city spokesperson Vince Basara.

In a notice to fill the vacancies, the board said it would accept any applications received at its Jan. 23 meeting.

Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen declined through a spokesman to comment about the allegations and Muhammad’s leave of absence. Carstarphen and Muhammad are childhood friends and were classmates at Camden High School and played on the Panthers’ 1986 state championship basketball team. In a 2022 interview about Muhammad, the mayor said, “That’s my guy.”

A lawsuit filed in September 2021 accuses Muhammad, now a minister and prominent community activist, of grooming his student for abuse by singling her out for special attention. The lawsuit alleges that district employees who knew about the abuse failed to stop it.

The alleged abuse began when the girl was 14, and Muhammad — then known as Donnie Walker — was her social studies teacher, the lawsuit said. At least one sexual encounter occurred on school property and the others at motels and his home, the lawsuit said.

Now 44, married, and the mother of two teenage sons, the former student tried to lodge criminal charges in 2020 with Cherry Hill police, but the statute of limitations had expired, her attorney said.

Archie has maintained that the allegations against Muhammad are “a frivolous and meritless case lacking legitimate facts. These allegations remain more than 30 years old with no physical, forensic evidence or credible live witnesses.”

According to court documents, another Hatch teacher testified that she saw the girl and Muhammad leaving his home on Baird Boulevard during the school day and questioned her about it. The victim said she denied it was her. The teacher told the girl’s mother about it and she again denied it, the lawsuit said.

Archie said the teacher and Muhammad had a romantic relationship.

» READ MORE: Who is Wasim Muhammad, Camden's school board president accused of sexually abusing a student?

An arbitrator who reviewed the files and depositions recommended a $1 million settlement that would have made Muhammad liable for 60% of that amount, but that was rejected.

The alleged acts began when the woman was an eighth grader, according to the lawsuit. Muhammad “relied upon her young age in assuming control over her,” the lawsuit said.

When the girl enrolled in nearby Camden High School as a freshman, the sexual activity continued, the lawsuit said, and she was instructed to go to his house before and after school where they had sexual intercourse. The sexual activity continued when the girl moved to the South with her family, and Muhammad visited her, the lawsuit alleges.

Muhammad contends he married the girl under the Muslim faith when she turned 18. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Jeffrey Fritz, denies his client was married to Muhammad. Muhammad has multiple Islamic wives and one legal wife and more than a dozen children.

Superior Court Judge John Kennedy was scheduled to hear arguments Friday on motions by Muhammad and the district to dismiss the case, but the hearing has been rescheduled for Jan. 26 due to weather. A trial date has been set for Feb. 5, depending on the outcome of the dismissal hearing.