Frustrated Parents After Ex-Teacher Admits to Child Sex Abuse

Former Piano Teacher Sentenced for Child Abuse

A former piano teacher at Fort Worth’s Trinity Valley School has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of indecency with a child by exposure. Trent Austin Muse, 29, was arrested in June 2024, more than a year after being fired from the school. He was released from Tarrant County jail on a $40,000 bond shortly after his arrest.

According to a police arrest-warrant affidavit, Muse was accused of exposing himself to multiple students during one-on-one piano lessons at Trinity Valley. The abuse reportedly occurred between August 2022 and April 2023. During an interview in June 2024, Muse informed police about the abuse as they investigated several reports made by students.

At the sentencing hearing, Muse appeared before 485th District Court Judge Steven Jumes. Parents of five of his victims gave statements detailing how his actions affected their children and families. Many of the parents wiped tears from their eyes as they shared their experiences. Fourteen people were seated on the state’s side of the courtroom, including the five parents who spoke.

Each parent expressed dissatisfaction with the length of Muse’s sentence and believed he should have faced more charges, as they claimed there were more victims than the five he was convicted of abusing. When asked about the possibility of additional victims, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office stated that they filed charges for “every arrest that the Fort Worth Police Department made regarding this defendant.”

One parent described Muse as a “coward” and “pedophile” who violated his daughter’s trust. He mentioned that the abuse occurred weekly during the entirety of Muse’s eight-month employment at the school. Another parent called Muse a “monster,” stating it was impossible to fully articulate the trauma her daughter had experienced.

Another mother said Muse stole her daughter’s innocence and used his position of power to cause unspeakable pain. She described him as “manipulative, repulsive, and deeply immoral.” A final parent said Muse hurt more than five children and that the plea deal did not capture “the full scope” of his abuse. She explained that her daughter has dealt with constant nightmares and difficulty trusting male teachers.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Muse was taken into custody. Monroe Solomon, Muse’s attorney, said the sentencing was “fair and reasonable” given the circumstances of the case.

Trinity Valley is a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade independent school in Fort Worth that serves approximately 1,000 students. The school and its board of trustees are also facing a civil lawsuit filed by the parents of nine of Muse’s alleged victims. The lawsuit claims that Muse had contact with as many as 16 possible victims. According to the complaint, which was filed in March in Tarrant County district court, Muse sexually abused elementary and middle school-aged students during one-on-one piano lessons in a secluded classroom.

The suit alleges that Trinity Valley was negligent through a lack of supervision over Muse’s lessons and by ignoring alleged signs of his abuse. It also claims the school attempted to cover up Muse’s actions after his firing by not informing parents why he was let go and by instructing teachers and parents not to discuss the situation.

Following Muse’s arrest, Trinity Valley announced a third-party investigation into the situation. The school is also facing civil lawsuits from a former administrator, Jeffrey Snyder, and Blair Lowry, the former head of school, who both allege Trinity Valley defamed them in a letter sent to parents.

Snyder’s lawsuit states that he and other administrators took swift action to address the allegations against Muse when they learned about an alleged incident involving a student on April 25, 2023, leading to his termination in early May 2023. A CPS investigation into Muse was closed about a month later.

In May 2024, more sexual abuse allegations against Muse surfaced, according to Snyder’s suit. Lowry resigned in June 2024. While the school did not acknowledge if her resignation was related to the incident with Muse, Snyder’s lawsuit alleges Lowry was placed on leave after the additional allegations came to light and resigned several days later.

Lowry’s lawsuit also claims the school violated a nondisparagement clause in her separation agreement by defaming her in the letter sent to parents. Her suit alleges this was done in response to her complaining that her “forced resignation” was due to gender discrimination.

A spokesperson for Trinity Valley said in an email that since Muse’s arrest, the school has “remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting our students and families and seeking answers as best we can.” The statement said the school initiated a third-party investigation following Muse’s June 2024 arrest.

“The findings of this investigation have guided the school’s hands in strengthening our family and student support services and revisiting our policies and expectations,” the statement said. “We know that Muse’s actions have left a profound emotional weight on our community, and it is our sincere hope that this outcome allows for a path toward closure for the victims and our school. We will continue to navigate future proceedings with the compassion, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness our community deserves.”

The spokesperson did not respond to additional questions about the results of the investigation or the allegations in the lawsuits.