A former Kenosha teacher entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday, May 15, in response to accusations of grooming a 14-year-old student.
According to prosecutors, Christian Enwright, 29, worked as a teacher at Kenosha School of Technology. It was reported that he allegedly sent numerous Snapchat messages to a student, some of which contained explicit content.
“It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could consider it acceptable for a teacher to send these images to a child,” expressed prosecutor Alexandra K. Smathers. “The situation is unsettling and chaotic.”
Enwright is being charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. According to court filings, a detective on the case characterized his behavior as “grooming.”
Based on a criminal complaint, the Kenosha County Department of Family Services received an anonymous report on Feb. 2, alleging that Enwright had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the student.
On Wednesday, he entered a plea of not guilty to each count, while his attorney is working towards getting the charges dismissed.
“The defense attorney, Jason Luczak, expressed his belief that the criminal complaint fails to establish the intention of causing or provoking a disturbance at the time the alleged messages were sent,” he said.
Instead, Enwright departed the courtroom under custody, having been granted a $5,000 cash bond.
Parents in the Kenosha Unified School District have been deeply affected by the charges.
“It’s absolutely appalling,” expressed Josie Benson, a concerned parent. “There is a need for improved vetting processes when it comes to individuals working with our children.”
Similarly, the lawyers representing the family of the 14-year-old are also in the same situation.
“The impact on the family is devastating, especially for their child,” expressed Michael Karp, the family’s attorney. “This situation will have a lasting impact and will be a burden for her indefinitely.”
The attorneys representing the student’s family have announced their intention to file claims against both the school district and Enwright this week, according to their statement. There is a possibility of legal action arising from those situations.
They also mention a pattern of teacher misconduct in KUSD and express the need for administrators to engage in a conversation with experts to initiate necessary changes.
According to the complaint, Enwright acknowledged during a police interview that he had communicated with the student through Snapchat, but he maintained that he had not committed any wrongdoing. According to him, his intention behind sending the photos and texts was to boost her confidence and make her feel better about herself.
Enwright’s termination was confirmed by the school district on Sunday, May 12, according to FOX6 News.