Paul Green will close rock schools, following accusations of sexual misconduct involving a teen student
The announcement came as The Inquirer is preparing to publish a story detailing allegations.
Paul Green, 53, founder of rock music programs for children, said Thursday he is closing down his current Paul Green Rock Academy in Roxborough amid new allegations that he had initiated sexual contact with a teenage student in 2007 that continued for two years. The Inquirer had asked Green for a statement about these allegations in preparation for an upcoming story when he announced his retirement from teaching.
“After much reflection, I’ve decided it’s time for me to take a step back and retire from teaching in this capacity and close [Paul Green Rock Academy],” Green said in a statement.
The announcement came as The Inquirer is preparing to publish a story detailing allegations made by a woman who said Green initiated a nearly two-year sexual relationship with her when she was his 17-year-old student.
It is the first time Green, a former punk rocker who styled himself a brash tastemaker, has been publicly accused of having sex with a student enrolled at his school.
The age of consent in Pennsylvania is 16, but sexual contact by a person in a recognized position of trust or authority — such as a teacher or school administrator — with someone under 18 is considered a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. This was the law in 2007, and it remains the same today.
In his statement about closing his school, Green denied the allegations brought forth by The Inquirer’s investigation.
Earlier this year, former School of Rock students made claims that Green routinely abused his position of power at the now-famed musical education program. Air Mail magazine — a weekly news and culture newsletter launched in 2019 by alums of the New York Times and Vanity Fair — spoke with more than 60 former students who described years of trauma under the educator.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Paul Green Rock Academy Instagram page had been deactivated. Green’s full statement was posted on the school’s Facebook page.
“While I admit to extramarital relationships with women connected to School of Rock, I have never had a romantic or sexual relationship with anyone under legal age or anyone who was a current student, during that time frame, or ever,” Green said.