“Trinity Wall Street, one of New York’s wealthiest and most powerful churches, said on Saturday that it was placing its high-profile director of music on leave as it investigates an allegation of sexual misconduct against him,” writes Javier C. Hernández in Monday’s (3/14) New York Times. “The director, Julian Wachner … has been accused by a former Juilliard employee, Mary Poole, of sexual assault. Ms. Poole said … that during a music festival in 2014 [in Aiken, S.C.], Mr. Wachner pushed her against a wall, groped her and kissed her, and that he ignored her demands that he stop. Mr. Wachner denies the accusations…. Trinity … said the church first learned of ‘allegations of sexual misconduct’ against Mr. Wachner last month from social media…. Trinity said it had hired outside counsel to investigate.… Wachner, through an attorney, denied the accusations…. Poole said she did not report the incident to the police, since she was in another state and pressed for time in the middle of a tour…. Poole reported the incident to Juilliard, which … said in a statement, ‘At the time we offered our full support to Ms. Poole and … since that time we have had no relationship with Mr. Wachner.’ ”
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