Wasim Muhammad, a 56-year-old school board president from New Jersey, testified in a civil sexual abuse trial on Wednesday, denying allegations that he groomed a former student whom he taught in middle school. Muhammad, who is also a minister and community activist, is being sued by a 45-year-old woman who claims he sexually abused her when she was a minor. The alleged abuse began when she was in his 7th-grade social studies class in 1994 and continued for several years.
Muhammad, who is the president of the Camden School Advisory Board, admitted to having six wives, four of whom he met when they were 18. This practice, he acknowledged, is “an exception and not the rule” and “very controversial,” as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The woman suing Muhammad alleges that he took her to a porn theater and forced her to have sex with a stranger while he watched. This incident allegedly occurred after she returned to Camden following a few years living out of state. The plaintiff testified last week, questioning why such an incident would happen to a 13-year-old girl.
Muhammad, a father of 17, has denied these allegations, describing them as “heinous.” He claimed that he married the plaintiff in 1997, after she returned from the South and began living with him. However, the plaintiff denies that they were ever married.
Muhammad’s legal wife is his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. He also has four other wives under his Islamic faith, including his second wife whom he met when she was an 18-year-old working at a local mall. He also acknowledged another marriage that ended.
During the trial, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Jeffrey Fritz, questioned Muhammad about the pattern of marrying women he met when they were 18. Muhammad reportedly ended his relationship with the plaintiff in 1998 after Stephanie discovered it.
Muhammad has served on the Camden school board for over a decade and remains a member, although he has been on leave since January. The civil trial was expected to conclude with closing arguments on Thursday.