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Two teenage girls say a former teacher affiliated with a $63,000-a-year private school in Brooklyn threatened them with “pornography revenge,” revealing nude photos after she allegedly forced them to take pornographic photos, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Winston Nguyen, a former teacher at Saint Ann’s School, of soliciting nude photos and videos from the girls when she was only 13 years old and later sharing the story with students.
Nguyen pleaded guilty last year to a felony charge and multiple counts 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 students at Saint Ann’s, accused school leaders of being careless and failing to act despite repeated warnings about Nguyen’s behavior.
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Winston Nguyen appears in Brooklyn Supreme Court, March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen was sentenced to 7 years in prison for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him pornography, among other offenses. Two victim impact statements were read into the record, but the victims were not in court. He also had the remains of a black eye because his lawyer said he was severely beaten while in custody. (Gregory P. Mango)
Nguyen, 39, was arrested in June 2024 outside the Brooklyn Heights facility. He pleaded guilty to using a child for sex and five counts of disorderly conduct.
Saint Ann’s, an elite private school that charges about $60,000 a year in tuition and is known for high Ivy League acceptance rates and alumni that include celebrities, musicians and Wall Street executives, has been surrounded by scandal for nearly two years.
The case marks the first time some of Nguyen’s victims have shared their accounts publicly.
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Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Nguyen exposed his position of trust by referring abused children from several private schools.
According to prosecutors, Nguyen used the messaging app Snapchat to pose as a teenager and engage children in sexually graphic conversations, pleading with them to send nude photos and videos. The victims were between the ages of 13 and 15, 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 said they felt pressured to do so because they believed Nguyen was a socially influential peer connected to Saint Ann’s students.
“This was the sad dishonesty of a teacher who encouraged students to send him graphic and nude photos,” Gonzalez said during his sentencing. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for his actions while protecting young and vulnerable victims from ever returning to court for this act of emotional abuse.”
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In this photo illustration, the mobile screen shows the Snapchat logo in front of the keyboard. (Muhammed Enes Yildirim / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
After the girls cut off contact, Nguyen allegedly shared their nude photos with other students.
The lawsuit claims that Saint Ann’s leadership was notified twice in early 2024 that pornographic images of young girls were circulating among students on Snapchat but failed to notify the police or intervene outside of internal meetings.
“Only the school knows about the circulating pornography and Nguyen’s history of misconduct,” the complaint said.
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Winston Nguyen appears in Brooklyn Supreme Court, March 19, 2025, in Brooklyn. Nguyen was sentenced to 7 years in prison for tricking several children under the age of 13 into sending him pornography, among other offenses. Two victim impact statements were read into the record, but the victims were not in court. He also had the remains of a black eye because his lawyer said he was severely beaten while in custody. (Gregory P. Mango)
Saint Ann’s management knew when Nguyen was hired in 2020 that he had served time in prison, according to the complaint. The New York Times reported in December 2024 that at least one employee warned against hiring Nguyen, citing his criminal history that included financial exploitation of an elderly couple.
Nguyen was first employed as a clerk before becoming a middle school math teacher. The school administrators are said to have known that he was staying at the higher education institution, they gave the students gifts and snacks, and they searched for the students on social media.
Parents, teachers and students who voiced their concerns were allegedly fired or “shamed” for “racism or intransigence,” according to a 2024 law firm report commissioned 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 refuting the allegations.
“The complaint includes a misrepresentation of Saint Ann’s role, and we will correct and challenge this serious matter through the appropriate legal channels,” wrote Head of School Kenyatte Reid and Board of Trustees President Mary Watson, adding that they are “concerned.[ed] to all victims affected by Nguyen’s actions.”
The girls’ attorney, Joshua Perry, said the evidence will show that Saint Ann’s leadership repeatedly ignored warning signs about Nguyen’s behavior.
“The school ignored all the warning signs and arrested the known attacker,” Perry told Fox News Digital.
Perry said that Saint Ann’s knew that Nguyen had a previous crime involving vulnerable victims, he knew that he was grooming students with gifts, contacting them on social media, breaking boundaries by visiting their homes and holding unauthorized sessions with students at school.
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Winston Nguyen attended the New York premiere of “city.ballet.” at Tribeca Cinemas on November 4, 2013, in New York City. (Mireya Acierto/FilmMagic)
“These are not just my guesses,” Perry said. “The school’s internal investigator, the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton, found all these facts. But the school still refuses to accept any responsibility.”
Perry also dismissed suggestions that the injuries to his clients were suspected, noting that Nguyen pleaded guilty.
“It’s not just allegations. Nguyen pleaded guilty, and the statements of Jane and Joan were read during his sentencing,” he said.
Perry said the girls, identified in court as Jane and Joan, were very traumatized.
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Girls at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights are being threatened in a “sexual retaliation” case. (Google Maps)
“They were frustrated. Depressed. Worried. Scared. Embarrassed,” Perry said. “But they are incredibly brave young women, and they fight.”
Nguyen’s attorney, Frank Rothman, told The New York Times that his client has no money and is incarcerated but acknowledged that he may be responsible for the school.
“At the very least, they should have stopped and thought, ‘Is this man fit for the job?'” Rothman said.
Saint Ann’s has faced allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2019, the school admitted that 19 former employees may have engaged in inappropriate behavior with students.
The girls’ statements were read during Nguyen’s sentencing hearing last year.
“My naked teenage photos will always be on the internet,” wrote another. “You ruined my life, broke my ability to trust, and ruined any chance I had of loving myself.”
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Perry said he hoped more victims would come forward but blamed Saint Ann’s for discouraging them.
“Saint Ann has a history of abusing and intimidating victims,” he said. “But Jane and Joan fight and other young women can, too.”
Perry said he wants to hold Saint Ann’s leadership accountable, accusing school officials of shirking responsibility.
“Saint Ann’s has become a deer that eats the children of Brooklyn,” he said. “They can’t hide in their ivory tower.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Saint Ann’s School and Nguyen’s attorney for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
