MISSOULA – A former Frenchtown music teacher has reached a plea agreement for sexually assaulting two students.
Troy Bashor was charged with one felony count of sexual assault and one misdemeanor sex assault charge for his alleged inappropriate contact with two female students.
Missoula Deputy County Attorney Brian Lowney confirmed to MTN News that as part of the plea agreement the felony count was downgraded to a misdemeanor, with Bashor pleading no contest to both charges Thursday in Missoula District Court.
Missoula District Court Judge Leslie Halligan handed down a suspended one-year sentence in court on Thursday, but Bashor will have to permanently surrender his teaching certificate.
Frenchtown School District Attorney Elizabeth Kaleva confirmed to MTN that Bashor submitted his resignation to Frenchtown Superintendent Randy Cline Thursday afternoon. She said that Cline accepted his resignation.
Bashor’s jury trial was set to start later this month.
One of the students and her parents have filed a Title IX lawsuit in federal court against the Frenchtown School District for the handling of the assault allegations. That is set for 2019.
