Brooklyn Prep School Sued Over Teacher's Sex Crimes Conviction

Lawsuit Against St. Ann's School

• ⚖️ A federal civil lawsuit has been filed against St. Ann's school in Brooklyn, alleging negligence in hiring a former teacher, Winston Wyn, who pleaded guilty to sex crimes against minors.
• 🎯 The suit claims the school failed to properly vet Wyn, despite knowing about his prior felony conviction for larceny.
• 💔 Two teenage girls accuse Wyn of posing as a boy online to solicit explicit images and videos, and retaliating by sharing them when they cut off contact.

Teacher's Background and Crimes

• 🎓 Winston Wyn, a former math teacher at St. Ann's and a past "Jeopardy!" contestant, is accused of communicating with at least six children on Snapchat.
• 🔒 Prosecutors state his messages became increasingly explicit, and he retaliated by distributing the explicit content he received.
• ⛓️ Wyn has pleaded guilty to felony use of a child in a sexual performance and five misdemeanors, and is currently serving a 7-year federal prison sentence.

School's Alleged Failures

• 🚫 The lawsuit alleges that St. Ann's school did nothing to help the children after the images were released, and did not report the matter to the police.
• 💰 Despite an annual tuition of approximately $63,000, the school leaders are accused of failing to properly vet Wyn, even though they knew he had previously served time at Rikers for stealing from an elderly couple.
• 🗣️ St. Ann's school denies the allegations, stating the complaint contains misrepresentations and that they will fight the case in court.

Legal Perspectives and Potential Outcomes

• 🧐 Frank Rothman, Wyn's former criminal defense attorney, believes St. Ann's will have significant problems and likely seek a settlement rather than go to trial.
• 🔍 Rothman noted that the school cannot deny knowing about Wyn's background, including his prior felony conviction and probation for larceny.
• 💰 While Wyn is named as a defendant in the civil suit, he is considered penniless, making him a legally important but financially insignificant party for recovery.
• 🤔 Rothman described Wyn as one of his most polite and respectful clients, despite the nature of the crimes he was charged with.