Former Saint Ann’s teacher Winston Nguyen faces federal lawsuit over misconduct
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Two teenage girls say a former teacher with ties to a $63,000-a-year private school in Brooklyn threatened them with a “revenge porn explosion,” releasing nude images after allegedly coercing them for sexually 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 girls when they were just 13 and then sharing them with students.
Nguyen pleaded guilty last year to a felony charge and multiple misdemeanors and is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The civil complaint filed in federal court on Thursday names Saint Ann School, several administrators and Nguyen as defendants. The girls, who are not Saint Ann’s students, claim school administrators were negligent and failed to take action despite repeated warning signs about Nguyen’s behavior.
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Winston Nguyen is scheduled to appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court on March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen was sentenced to 7 years in prison for, among other illegal activities, for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him random sexual photos. Two victim impact statements were read into the record but the victims were not in court. He also had black eyes because his lawyer said he was beaten while in detention. (Gregory P. Mango)
Nguyen, 39, was arrested outside the Brooklyn Heights campus in June 2024. He pleaded guilty to using a child in a sexual performance and five misdemeanors.
Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges about $60,000 a year, is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and attendance that includes celebrities, artists and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandals for nearly two years.
The lawsuit marks the first time Nguyen has publicly shared the accounts of some of his victims.
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Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Nguyen betrayed his trust by targeting teenage victims at 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, enticing 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 prosecutor’s office said.
The girls say they felt pressure to comply because they believed Nguyen was a socially influential peer with connections to Saint Ann’s students, according to the complaint obtained by the New York Times.
“This was a disgusting betrayal of trust by a teacher who asked her students to send her graphic and nude photos,” Gonzalez said in handing down the sentence. “Today’s sentencing holds him accountable for his actions and spares the young and vulnerable victims from having to relive this emotional abuse in court.”
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In this photo illustration, a mobile phone screen shows the Snapchat logo in front of the keyboard. (Muhammed Enes Yıldırım / Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images)
After the girls stopped communicating, Nguyen allegedly shared her nude photos with other students.
The lawsuit alleges that Saint Ann’s leadership was warned twice in early 2024 that sexually explicit images of teenage girls were circulating among students on Snapchat, but failed to notify police or intervene beyond internal meetings.
“Only the school knew of both the circulating revenge porn and Nguyen’s history of abuse,” the complaint states.
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Winston Nguyen is scheduled to appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court on March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen was sentenced to 7 years in prison for, among other illegal activities, for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him random sexual photos. Two victim impact statements were read into the record but the victims were not in court. He also had black eyes because his lawyer said he was beaten while in detention. (Gregory P. Mango)
According to the complaint, Saint Ann’s administrators knew Nguyen had prior prison time when he was hired in 2020. The New York Times reported in December 2024 that at least one staff member warned against hiring Nguyen, citing his criminal history that included 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 was sleeping on campus, gave gifts and snacks to students, and sought out students on social media.
Parents, teachers and students who voiced concerns were allegedly fired or “shamed” for being “racist or not progressive,” according to a 2024 law firm report prepared by the school. Nguyen is the son of Vietnamese immigrants.
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After the lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of New York, Saint Ann’s leaders sent a letter to the school community contesting the allegations.
“The complaint contains numerous misrepresentations regarding Saint Ann’s role, and we will address and discuss this sensitive issue through appropriate legal channels,” Principal Kenyatte Reid and Board of Trustees Chair Mary Watson wrote, adding that they were “concerned.”[ed] “For all the victims affected 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 indulged a known predator,” Perry told Fox News Digital.
Perry said Saint Ann’s knew Nguyen had a previous conviction involving vulnerable victims, gave gifts to students, interacted with them on social media, violated boundaries by visiting their homes and holding unauthorized sessions with students on campus.
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Winston Nguyen attended the New York series premiere of “city.ballet”. At Tribeca Cinemas in New York on November 4, 2013. (Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic)
“These aren’t just my guesses,” Perry said. “The school’s own internal investigator, the law firm of Debevoise and Plimpton, found all of these facts. But the school still refuses to accept any liability.”
Perry also stated that Nguyen had confessed to the crime and rejected claims that the harm done to his clients was merely an allegation.
“This is not just an allegation. Nguyen pleaded guilty and impact statements from Jane and Joan were read at his sentencing,” he said.
Perry said the girls, identified in court filings as Jane and Joan, were deeply traumatized.
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Girls at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights were threatened in a “revenge porn” case. (Google Maps)
“They were devastated. They were depressed. They were anxious. They were horrified. They were embarrassed,” Perry said. “But they are incredibly brave young women and they are fighting back.”
Nguyen’s attorney, Frank Rothman, told The New York Times that his client was broke and incarcerated but acknowledged the school’s potential liability.
“At least we stopped and said, ‘Is this the guy for the job?'” Rothman said. “They should have thought,” he said.
Saint Ann’s has faced sexual abuse allegations before. In 2019, the school admitted that 19 former staff members may have engaged in inappropriate behavior with students.
The girls’ statements were read at Nguyen’s sentencing hearing last year.
“Nude teenage photos of me will be on the internet forever,” one wrote. “You ruined my life, broke my ability to trust, and damaged my chances of loving myself.”
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Perry said he hoped other victims would come forward, but accused Saint Ann’s of encouraging them.
“Saint Ann has a history of bullying and intimidating victims,” he said. “But Jane and Joan are struggling, and other young women may be struggling, too.”
Perry said he wants accountability from Saint Ann’s leadership, accusing school officials of minimizing responsibility.
“Saint Ann has unleashed a predator on children in Brooklyn,” he said. “They can’t hide in their ivory towers.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Saint Ann’s School and Nguyen’s attorney for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crimes including missing persons, murders and immigration crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
