Who is Wasim Muhammad, Camden’s school board president accused of sexually abusing a student?

Wasim Muhammad is the Camden school district’s advisory board president; the operator of a small Muslim school, a temple, and a day-care center; and is a rising political player in the city with close ties to City Hall.

Muhammad, 56, has been named in a sex-abuse civil lawsuit by a former student who accuses him of grooming her as a partner starting when he was her teacher in 1994 at Cooper B. Hatch Middle School.

Muhammad did not respond to text and voicemail messages about the allegations that have brought details about his personal life to light.

In a statement, his attorney, Troy Archie, described Muhammad as “a dedicated public servant to the city of Camden and the school district for decades.” He said the civil action was “frivolous and meritless and based on circumstantial evidence lacking legitimate facts.”

Here’s what we know about Muhammad:

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

Muhammad was appointed to the advisory board in 2013 by then-Camden Mayor Dana Redd — the first year the troubled school system was taken over by the state — and continued to serve under appointment by the mayor until 2019, when elections resumed. He was part of Redd’s Congress of Resident, Faith Based and Community Based Organizations.

In November, Muhammad was reelected to a three-year term, running on the slogan “Education for Everyone.” And in January, he was again elected president of the nine-member board, a position he has held since 2020, when longtime board member Martha F. Wilson died.

Board members advise state-appointed Superintendent Katrina McCombs but have no real authority to make and enact changes. McCombs makes decisions about the budget, personnel, contracts, curriculum, and instruction.

» READ MORE: Not taking over Camden schools would be "immoral"

Muhammad was born and raised in Camden in the city’s Parkside section. He was known as Donnie Walker until he converted to the Nation of Islam. He graduated from Camden High School, where he played starting guard on the 1986 undefeated championship basketball team with now-Mayor Vic Carstarphen, his childhood friend. McCombs was a classmate and a member of the cheerleading squad.

After attending the University of New Mexico, Muhammad returned to Camden. He eventually landed a job with the school system as a long-term substitute teacher and then as a social studies and special education teacher at Cooper B. Hatch School, from 1992 to 1998. His employment was terminated in a Sept. 29, 1998, nonrenewal letter, a notice a district must provide when it decides not to extend the employment of a nontenured teaching staff member.

Muhammad oversees a small Muslim school, Muhammad University of Islam School No. 20, on Haddon Avenue.

It is among only a few schools in the region affiliated with the Nation of Islam, and enrolls a dozen or so students, many of whom are Muhammad’s children. The K-12 independent school, which he launched in 2011, doesn’t get direct state or federal funding, but, like other private and parochial schools in New Jersey, receives resources such as textbooks, science lab supplies, or support services for eligible students.

Besides chess, the students also study Arabic, art history, and music theory once a week. The core subjects are math, science, language arts, and civics.

Muhammad also heads the adjoining temple, where he has been the minister for 15 years, according to court documents in the lawsuit. He hosts “Muhammad Speaks Radio” on Tuesdays on WTMR-AM (800). He describes himself as a local representative of Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975.

In addition to running the school, Muhammad operates a day-care center a block away. He has announced ambitious plans to create a $10 million university campus near the school that would include a coffee shop, a bookstore, and an arts center. He previously was involved with Cure4Camden, an anti-violence organization.

The state School Ethics Commission twice dismissed complaints against Muhammad that alleged his role as board president placed his private school at an unfair advantage to receive special treatment.

According to court documents and a 2022 interview with The Inquirer, Muhammad has “multiple wives” and more than a dozen children.

He alleges the former student who filed the civil lawsuit against him was married to him, according to the Islamic faith, and he referred to her in court filings as his “spiritual wife.” The plaintiff said she lived with him and his legal wife for about 10 months but denied that the two were ever married, her attorney said.

Lawyers for the district and Muhammad have asked Superior Court Judge John S. Kennedy to dismiss the case, and arguments are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 19. A trial date has been set for Feb. 5, depending on the outcome of Friday’s hearing.

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. Read the recommendation below.

A spokesperson for N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy called for Muhammad’s resignation from his board position.

“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,” spokesperson Maggie Garbarino said.

“The governor believes he should immediately resign.”

A spokesperson for the Camden mayor’s office, Vince Basara, said the mayor had no comment.