A once-acclaimed classical conductor who was ousted from his prestigious position in New York has been arrested on child pornography accusations in Indianapolis.
Julian James Wachner, 55, worked as a 4th-grade teacher at Invent Learning Hub at the time of his arrest. His profile has since been scrubbed from the school’s website.
The charter school’s director did not immediately respond to a request for comment; however, the school sent a statement to parents acknowledging Wachner’s arrest, noting that his “inappropriate behavior” occurred “outside the school day and off school premises.” A parent shared the school’s statement with IndyStar.
“There is no indication that any of our students were involved. Law enforcement’s investigation of the allegations remains ongoing,” reads the statement sent to parents.
The charter school conducted a background check on Wachner and offered him training before the school hired him as a teacher on Sept. 30, 2024, according to the statement sent to parents.
In a separate message, students were told that Wachner will not return for the remainder of the school year.
Wachner, whose work was once lauded in publications including the New York Times, Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle, worked as the musical director of Trinity Church Wall Street when a then-Juilliard employee came forward with assault allegations in 2022. Wachner was put on leave and eventually fired for what the church described as conduct “inconsistent with our expectations of anyone who occupies a leadership position.”
Wachner denied the assault allegations.
The woman said that Wachner had groped and kissed her at a music festival in 2014. Wachner described the encounter as consensual in a since-deleted statement posted to his website.
Wachner sued Juilliard, his accuser’s employer, for defamation. The case was dismissed.
Wachner was arrested on one count of possession of child pornography on Aug. 20, according to booking records from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Licensing records show that Wachner has a valid permit as a substitute teacher with Indianapolis Public Schools. It was issued on September 2024. IPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At the time of reporting, the Marion County Court had sealed court documents relating to Wachner’s case.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Teacher, composer arrested in Indianapolis child porn investigation