The lawsuit alleges the school and school board covered up information following the arrest of a piano teacher charged with indecency with a child.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Parents of children at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth have filed a lawsuit against the school and its board of trustees.
According to the lawsuit filed in Tarrant County Wednesday, parents are accusing the school of neglect and covering up the alleged sexual abuse of at least 16 young girls. The lawsuit alleges the private K-12 school and its leaders covered up the alleged abuse for nearly two years.
In the lawsuit, Natalie Arbaugh, an attorney representing parents of children who were allegedly sexually abused, outlined several emails and letters parents received from the school as the investigation unfolded.
“It’s just tragic,” Arbaugh said in an interview with WFAA. “There has yet to be full transparency from this school. The school leadership lied to the parents and covered it up.”
County records show Muse is no longer in custody and is out on a $40,000 bond. His next court appearance is on April 10, according to the Tarrant County District Clerk’s website.
“You cannot overstate how harmful this is,” Arbaugh said. “This is something these young children, young girls, will be dealing with for the rest of their lives.”
Muse’s attorney didn’t respond to WFAA’s request for comment on Thursday.
According to the lawsuit, the school told parents Muse left “for personal reasons” and that there was “no cause for concern.” The lawsuit says parents later learned the school had actually fired him.
“They took steps to hide this for financial and reputational reasons,” Arbaugh said.
The lawsuit alleges the school failed to tell parents it reported him to Texas Child Protective Services. TCPS confirmed to WFAA that it conducted an investigation into Muse, and the findings are with the school.
The school also reported Muse to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for Sexual Misconduct In School, defined as sexual assault, continuous sexual abuse of a young child or indecency with a child, on July 2, 2024. The TEA says the case is still listed as “under investigation,” and Muse has not yet been determined to be eligible for hire in the state.
According to the filing, the alleged incidents happened over the course of eight months during the 2022-2023 school year, primarily in a small, secluded classroom on the campus. The lawsuit alleges Muse was left unmonitored and unsupervised with the children and was even allowed to teach the children after hours alone.
A spokesperson for Trinity Valley School issued the following statement in response to the new lawsuit:
“Since the arrest of former piano teacher Trent Muse last year, Trinity Valley School has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting our students and families and seeking answers as best we can. After the school received a report of an incident involving Mr. Muse in April 2023, he was promptly terminated from his position and a report was made to Child Protective Services. Upon learning of his June 2024 arrest, we immediately initiated a third-party investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding Mr. Muse’s termination and the school’s actions related to his departure.
Out of respect for the privacy of those involved and due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are limited in what we can share publicly. However, we will continue to navigate this process with the compassion, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness our community deserves.”
WFAA reached out to leaders of the school board of trustees but did not receive a response.
Arbaugh said the alleged sexual abuse has taken an emotional toll on parents and their children. Some of the parents have removed their children from the school, Arbaugh said.
“It’s already affecting these young children academically, behaviorally some of them have developed disorders as a result of this,” Arbaugh said. “I see the sadness emanating from the parents when they talk. They feel guilt, immense guilt. Even though this is on the school, as parents, we view it as our number one job to protect our children, so they feel guilt.”
Arbaugh said the lawsuit aims to achieve transparency, accountability and monetary relief for families as they provide services for their recovering children.
