Former Trinity Valley teacher accused of misconduct ‘in presence of students,’ school says

The Fort Worth Police Department and Child Protective Services are investigating reports of misconduct involving a former Trinity Valley School piano teacher, officials said.

“The safety and well-being of our students and the entire Trinity Valley community is our top priority,” head of school Blair Lowry said in a statement to the Star-Telegram. “When we recently received a report about a former piano teacher, we immediately notified Child Protective Services. We are meeting with families and will be assisting and supporting the families as we move forward.”

Officials at the Fort Worth K-12 private school didn’t specify what the behavior was in a letter sent to parents Tuesday.

“Late last week, we received reports of conduct involving our former piano teacher in the presence of students during the 2022-2023 school year,” the letter stated. “This information caused us to have concern for our school community.”

The teacher, who wasn’t mentioned by name in the letter, hasn’t been on the Trinity Valley campus since April 2023.

According to the letter, Trinity Valley School employees undergo a thorough background check before hiring and are required to sign a sworn affidavit that they have never been charged with or convicted of an inappropriate relationship with a minor. They also receive training on boundaries and what to do if child abuse is suspected.

The teacher in question cleared a background check and reference checks before he was hired, the letter said.

“Inappropriate conduct is not tolerated, and we were deeply disturbed by these reports,” the letter stated.

Counselors will be available to meet one-on-one with affected students.