NEWYou can now listen to articles!
Two teenage girls say a former teacher linked to a $63,000-a-year Brooklyn private school threatened them with a “revenge porn blast,” exposing nude images after allegedly coercing them for explicit photos, according to a newly filed federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Winston Nguyen, a former teacher at Saint Ann’s School, of soliciting nude photos and videos from the girls when they were just 13 years old and later sharing the material with students.
Nguyen pleaded guilty last year to a felony charge and multiple misdemeanors and is now serving a seven-year prison sentence, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The civil complaint, filed Thursday in federal court, names Saint Ann’s School, several administrators and Nguyen as defendants. The girls, who were not students at Saint Ann’s, allege school leaders were negligent and failed to act despite repeated warning signs about Nguyen’s behavior.
FORMER LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO ENTICE STUDENT INTO SEX
Winston Nguyen appears in Brooklyn Supreme Court, March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him sexually promiscuous photos, among other illegal activities. Two victim’s impact statements were read into the record, but the victims were not in court. He also had the remnants of a black eye because his lawyer said that he was beaten up while incarcerated. (Gregory P. Mango)
Nguyen, 39, was arrested in June 2024 outside the Brooklyn Heights campus. He pleaded guilty to using a child in a sexual performance and five misdemeanor counts.
Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges roughly $60,000 a year in tuition and is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and attendees that include celebrities, artists and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandal for nearly two years.
The lawsuit marks the first time some of Nguyen’s victims have publicly shared their accounts.
ATTORNEY RIPS USA GYMNASTICS AMID LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED FAILURE TO PROTECT ATHLETES FROM SEXUAL ABUSE
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Nguyen betrayed his position of trust by targeting teenage victims from multiple elite independent schools.
According to prosecutors, Nguyen used the messaging app Snapchat to pose as a teenage boy and engage minors in sexually explicit conversations, persuading them to send nude images and videos. The victims were between 13 and 15 years old, and the crimes occurred between October 2022 and May 2024, the DA’s office said.
According to the complaint, obtained by the New York Times, the girls say they felt pressured to comply because they believed Nguyen was a peer with social influence connected to Saint Ann’s students.
“This was a sickening betrayal of trust by a schoolteacher who solicited students into sending him graphic and nude photos,” Gonzalez said at sentencing. “Today’s sentencing holds him accountable for his actions while sparing the young and vulnerable victims from having to relive this emotional abuse in court.”
CALIFORNIA ‘PARTY MOM’ ACCUSED OF GROOMING VICTIMS FOR SEX, DRINKING IN RITZY MANSION, TEENS TESTIFY AT TRIAL
In this photo illustration, a mobile phone screen displays the Snapchat logo in front of a keyboard. (Muhammed Enes Yildirim / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
After the girls cut off contact, Nguyen allegedly shared their nude images with other students.
The lawsuit claims Saint Ann’s leadership was alerted twice in early 2024 that explicit images of young girls were circulating among students on Snapchat but failed to notify police or intervene beyond internal meetings.
“Only the school knew about both the revenge porn circulating and Nguyen’s history of misconduct,” the complaint states.
DISGRACED TEACHER ACCUSED OF USING GOOGLE DOCS TO GROOM UNDERAGE STUDENT BEFORE ALLEGED SEX CRIMES
Winston Nguyen appears in Brooklyn Supreme Court, March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him sexually promiscuous photos, among other illegal activities. Two victim’s impact statements were read into the record, but the victims were not in court. He also had the remnants of a black eye because his lawyer said that he was beaten up while incarcerated. (Gregory P. Mango)
Saint Ann’s administrators knew when Nguyen was hired in 2020 that he had previously served time in prison, according to the complaint. The New York Times reported in December 2024 that at least one staff member warned against hiring Nguyen, citing his criminal history involving financial exploitation of an elderly couple.
Nguyen was initially hired as a clerk before becoming a middle school math teacher. School officials allegedly knew he slept on campus, gave students gifts and snacks, and searched for students on social media.
Parents, teachers and students who raised concerns were allegedly dismissed or “shamed” for being “racist or not progressive,” according to a 2024 law firm report commissioned by the school. Nguyen is the son of Vietnamese immigrants.
FORMER MISSOURI SUBSTITUTE TEACHER GETS 10 YEARS FOR TRADING STUDENTS MONEY, DRUGS FOR SEX
After the lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of New York, Saint Ann’s leaders sent a letter to the school community disputing the allegations.
“The complaint includes several misrepresentations of Saint Ann’s role, and we will address and dispute this delicate matter through the appropriate legal channels,” Head of School Kenyatte Reid and Board of Trustees President Mary Watson wrote, adding they were “concern[ed] for all victims impacted by Nguyen’s actions.”
The girls’ attorney, Joshua Perry, said the evidence will show Saint Ann’s leadership repeatedly ignored warning signs about Nguyen’s behavior.
“The school ignored every warning sign and coddled a known predator,” Perry told Digital.
Perry said Saint Ann’s knew Nguyen had a prior conviction involving vulnerable victims, knew he was grooming students with gifts, interacting with them on social media, violating boundaries by visiting their homes and hosting unauthorized sessions with students on campus.
ELITE MASSACHUSETTS BOARDING SCHOOL ROCKED BY TEACHER SCANDAL AND INSTITUTIONAL COVER-UP ALLEGATIONS
Winston Nguyen attends the New York series premiere of “city.ballet.” at Tribeca Cinemas on November 4, 2013, in New York City. (Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic)
“These aren’t just my guesses,” Perry said. “The school’s own internal investigator, the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton, found all these facts. But the school still refuses to accept any responsibility.”
Perry also pushed back on suggestions that the harm to his clients is merely alleged, noting Nguyen’s guilty plea.
“It’s not just alleged. Nguyen pled guilty, and Jane and Joan’s impact statements were read at his sentencing,” he said.
Perry said the girls, identified in court filings as Jane and Joan, were deeply traumatized.
TEXAS SUBSTITUTE TEACHER CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX OFFENSES, ‘NO LONGER EMPLOYED’ BY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Girls at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights were threatened in a “revenge porn” lawsuit. (Google Maps)
“They were devastated. Depressed. Anxious. Terrified. Ashamed,” Perry said. “But they’re incredibly brave young women, and they’re fighting back.”
Nguyen’s attorney, Frank Rothman, told The New York Times that his client is penniless and incarcerated but acknowledged potential liability for the school.
“At a minimum, they should have stopped to think, ‘Is this the man for the job?’” Rothman said.
Saint Ann’s has faced previous sexual misconduct allegations. In 2019, the school acknowledged that 19 former staff members may have engaged in inappropriate behavior with students.
Statements from the girls were read at Nguyen’s sentencing hearing last year.
“Photos of me as a naked preteen will forever be on the internet,” one wrote. “You ruined my life, broke my ability to trust, and hurt any chance at loving myself.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP
Perry said he hopes additional victims will come forward but accused Saint Ann’s of discouraging them.
“Saint Ann’s has a track record of bullying and intimidating victims,” he said. “But Jane and Joan are fighting back and other young women can, too.”
Perry said he is seeking accountability from Saint Ann’s leadership, accusing school officials of minimizing responsibility.
“Saint Ann’s turned a predator loose on Brooklyn’s children,” he said. “They don’t get to hide in their ivory tower.”
Digital reached out to Saint Ann’s School and Nguyen’s lawyer for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
