Two former Saint Ann’s School students have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that former teacher Winston Nguyen posed as a teen on Snapchat, coerced minors into sending explicit images, and that those images were then distributed among students. Nguyen pleaded guilty in March 2025 to charges including use of a child in a sexual performance; he is serving a seven-year sentence and will register as a sex offender. The suit accuses Saint Ann’s of failing to vet and supervise Nguyen properly, not notifying the broader parent community, and ostracizing whistleblowers; the school says it will dispute the allegations in court.
Former Saint Ann’s Teacher Sued After Posing as Teen on Snapchat, Sending and Circulating Nude Images
Winston Nguyen attends the New York City Ballet 2017 Spring Gala at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on May 4, 2017 in New York City.Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty
Two former students have filed a federal lawsuit after prosecutors say a former Saint Ann’s School teacher, 39-year-old Winston Nguyen, posed as a teenage boy on Snapchat, coerced minors into sending sexually explicit images and videos, and allowed that material to spread among students.
Lawsuit Allegations
The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of New York on Jan. 29 and obtained by PEOPLE, names Nguyen and Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, along with several current and former administrators. The suit alleges the school "violated their own policies and ignored obvious red flags in hiring, promoting, and failing to supervise" Nguyen. Individual defendants named include Vincent Tompkins, Kenyatte Reid, Melissa Kantor and Maureen Yusuf-Morales.
According to prosecutors, Nguyen communicated with six children who attended various elite independent schools in Brooklyn between October 2022 and May 2024. Two of the plaintiffs were 13 when first contacted. Prosecutors say Nguyen created a false Snapchat persona as a teenage boy, engaged the minors in sexually explicit conversations, and sometimes sent images and videos that depicted a teenage boy masturbating.
St. Ann's School in Brooklyn, N.Y.Google Maps
Coercion and Distribution
The complaint describes how Nguyen allegedly pressured the girls to produce nude photos and videos of themselves masturbating. When some victims blocked his account, the sexually explicit content began circulating within the Saint Ann’s community — a distribution the filing calls "a revenge porn blast with dozens of explicit pictures." Plaintiffs say the girls felt compelled to comply because Nguyen appeared to be a peer with strong social connections to Saint Ann’s students.
Criminal Case And Sentence
Nguyen was arrested in June 2024. In March 2025 he pleaded guilty to a sexually motivated felony for use of a child in a sexual performance and to five counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He is serving a seven-year state prison sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender upon release, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said.
Allegations About The School’s Conduct
The complaint asserts Saint Ann’s became aware that explicit images were circulating and that Nguyen was the likely source, but failed to notify authorities or inform parents beyond those whose children were immediately affected. The lawsuit cites a report by law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, which concluded the school hired Nguyen without adequate vetting despite knowledge of prior convictions involving exploitation of vulnerable people. Plaintiffs also allege that when teachers, parents and students raised concerns about Nguyen’s conduct — including reports that he bribed students with gifts and arrived unannounced at children’s homes — school leaders marginalized those complaints by labeling critics "racist," "anti-progressive," or insufficiently committed to "restorative justice."
Winston Nguyen on 'Jeopardy!' in 2014.Jeopardy!/Youtube
Victims’ Statements And Impact
"I constantly worry that my peers and people around me have seen the naked photos you disgustingly collected of me…Your actions will scar me for the rest of my life, my trust has been shattered," one victim said at sentencing. The other said, "My image and my self-worth will always be tainted by this."
The plaintiffs are seeking to hold Nguyen and the school accountable for the emotional and reputational harm they say resulted from his actions and the school’s alleged failures to prevent or properly respond to the abuse.
School Response
After Nguyen’s arrest, Saint Ann’s officials announced he had been terminated. In a letter to the school community after the lawsuit was filed, administrators said the complaint contained "several misrepresentations of Saint Ann’s role" and that the school would contest the allegations through legal channels. PEOPLE reported the school did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Notable Background
Nguyen briefly gained public attention years earlier as a one-time Jeopardy! contestant, winning just over $10,000 in 2014 and later receiving $1,000 for a third-place finish in a subsequent episode.
What happens next will depend on the federal litigation and any further inquiries by authorities into the school’s hiring and reporting practices.
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