Trinity Valley School is involved in a sensitive controversy as Fort Worth City Jail arrested a former piano teacher on Monday for alleged inappropriate conduct with a child, officials said.
Indecent Conduct Allegation
Trent Muse, 28, was taken into custody around 1 p.m. based on four warrants accusing him of indecent exposure involving a child, Bradley Perez, spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department, said.
The investigation is ongoing, but no further details were disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the offense and the involvement of juveniles, Perez informed the Star-Telegram via email.
Trinity Valley Community's Commitment to Child's Safety
The safety and welfare of students and the entire Trinity Valley community is the Trinity Valley School's foremost concern. Upon receiving reports of conduct involving a former piano teacher in the presence of students during the 2022-2023 school year, the school promptly notified Child Protective Services, currently meeting with affected families and providing ongoing assistance and support throughout the process, Head of school Blair Lowry emphasized in a statement to the Star-Telegram.
Officials at the Fort Worth K-12 private school did not specify the nature of the behavior or Muse's name in a letter sent to parents on Tuesday.
The statement added, "Inappropriate conduct is not tolerated," and the school administration expressed deep concern over these reports.
The Controversial Resignation of Trinity Valley School's Head
A few weeks later, after the controversy, the Head of Trinity Valley School, Blair Lowry, resigned from her position on June 5 to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship, according to the letter.
The resignation follows news from about two weeks ago that Fort Worth police were investigating conduct involving a former piano teacher with students during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a previous letter sent by Trinity Valley School to parents. The specific nature of the conduct under investigation was not disclosed.
Lowry, who served as the Head of the school for the past four years, also led TVS in its future planning, according to the letter to parents. The letter said that the school is now working on establishing a new short-term leadership structure and plans to provide further details by the end of the week.
The school did not disclose whether Lowry's departure was planned or if it was related to the alleged misconduct involving the piano teacher, who has not been publicly identified.
According to the statement sent last month, Trinity Valley School employees undergo rigorous background checks before hiring. They must sign an affidavit affirming they have no history of charges or convictions related to inappropriate relationships with minors. They also receive training on maintaining boundaries and reporting child abuse suspicions, the statement says. While the teacher in question, Trent Muse, had not been on the Trinity Valley School campus since April 2023, the school asserted that he had passed a background check and reference checks before being hired.
