THE WOODLANDS, Texas – A teacher at a music school in The Woodlands is accused of sexually abusing a child during a lesson, according to officials.
According to the Precinct 3 Constable’s Office in Montgomery County, investigators received a complaint on Nov. 3 about the sexual abuse of a 4-year-old boy at the School of Rock on FM Road 2978.
Bernardo Placencia, an instructor at the school, was charged with first-degree super aggravated sexual assault of a child in connection with the case, according to investigators.
Investigators said the boy had been abused at the school while Placencia was giving him a private lesson.
Investigators said Placencia was an instructor at the school for two years, and they believe he had contact with multiple children.
Anyone with information about the case, or possible victims, should call 936-538-3414.
“There are a ton of great coaches and instructors out there, however if you run across one who mandates they spend alone time with your child, or that you not be there when they're giving lessons or instructions, you need to find another one,” said Chief Matt Rodrigue, of Montgomery County Precinct 3.
The school remained closed on Friday and it was unclear when it would reopen.
A spokesperson for School of Rock sent Channel 2 the following statement:
"School of Rock has a zero tolerance policy. The safety and security of our students is our principal and continuous concern. In this spirit, we actively encourage our parents and students to report any concern regarding their safety while in our school community.
As a condition of employment, our instructors must:
- Undergo a mandatory criminal background check via government reporting agencies
- Pledge in writing to abide by our code of conduct that prevents any inappropriate communication and interaction between teachers and the students
- Complete a safety training
Our facilities are designed to facilitate visibility into lesson rooms and we proactively implement other safety processes intended to protect our students.
On Thursday, November 3, a parent of one of our students reported to us that her child told her about having been inappropriately touched by a now former instructor. We immediately reported the allegations to the law enforcement authorities.
Because of our zero tolerance policy, we took immediate action in this matter and the instructor is no longer with the School of Rock as of November 3, 2016. This matter has been under investigation by the law enforcement authorities and we have fully supported their investigation, keeping the best interests of the child in mind. While the news media is reporting that an arrest has been made, neither the school nor our corporate team have been contacted by the authorities.
In this case and as part of our protocol, The School of Rock team will continue to monitor this situation closely and cooperate with the authorities. As this is an active Police investigation, this is all of the information we are able to provide to you.
Again, the safety of our students, staff and School of Rock community is our top priority, and we will continue to be vigilant in this mission."