Judge sends former teacher to prison

Former Jefferson Elementary School teacher Michael A. Wright wanted to remain free on bail as he appeals his conviction for sexually assaulting a minor teenage girl.

“I am completely determined to do whatever I need to do to prove my innocence,” Wright told state Circuit Judge Shirley Kawamura at his sentencing Thursday.

Kawamura sentenced Wright to 20 years in prison, denied his request to remain free pending appeal and had state sheriff deputies take him into custody to immediately begin serving the sentence.

At trial in January, Wright and the girl gave opposing testimony. The jury believed the girl on three of five charges, finding Wright guilty of submitting her to sexual contact twice when she was between 11 and 14 years old and of sexually assaulting her after she turned 14. The jury acquitted Wright of submitting the girl to sexual contact two other times when she was between 11 and 14.

After trial Wright and the girl continued to make opposing statements.

Deputy Prosecutor Loren Haugen read in court the letter the girl submitted for Wright’s sentencing. In it the girl said she struggled with reporting what happened because Wright told her he would get in trouble. She said she decided to come forward because she fears he may have abused others.

The girl says she has trouble trusting people because of what Wright did to her. She was not a Jefferson Elementary student.

The state Department of Education says it placed Wright on unpaid leave after he was arrested at the Waikiki campus during school hours in September 2016.

Wright told Kawamura that all he wanted to do was serve his community and help others. “I don’t know why this happened.”

He said the experience has left him severely depressed, anxious, suffering from post-traumatic stress and on 14 medications.