Man found dead identified as teacher accused of sexually abusing teenage girl – KION546

By Austin Ellis

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DUBUQUE, Iowa (KWWL) — Dubuque police say the man who died Wednesday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound was a teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.

Police attempted to execute an arrest warrant for Trent Paschal, 24, who was a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. Paschal allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student.

Through interviews, police say they became aware of inappropriate Snapchats between Paschal and the victim. They also learned that Paschal had picked up the student on two occasions and engaged in sexual acts in his apartment.

Police said traffic cameras and surveillance footage showed Paschal picking up the student on May 27, going to his apartment and leaving together.

When police attempted to execute the arrest warrant Wednesday for two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, they heard a single gunshot coming from the apartment. After officers unsuccessfully attempted to speak with Paschal, they found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Dubuque Community School District shared a statement with KWWL regarding the situation. The district said:

“On Friday, May 31, the Dubuque Community School District received a third-party report of an alleged inappropriate relationship between Trent Paschal and a student. Paschal was a teacher at Jefferson Middle School and Dubuque Online School, and a coach in the district. There is no indication that the alleged inappropriate contact took place at school. The district immediately began investigating the report using established protocols, promptly placed the staff member on administrative leave, and engaged law enforcement in the investigation. At that time, the Dubuque Police Department took lead in the investigation, with the full cooperation of the District.

At the heart of our work in the Dubuque Community School District, we seek to provide a safe learning environment in which our students can thrive. These allegations were obviously concerning and taken very seriously. On June 12, 2024, the District was informed that when the Dubuque Police Department went to serve the arrest warrant in the case against Trent Paschal, a self-inflicted shooting occurred and it was reported died at the scene. At this time, the District will defer to and cooperate fully with the Dubuque Police Department regarding the handling of this matter.

As a district, we continue to take the allegations very seriously while recognizing that the loss of life is always tragic.

Our focus now will be on supporting our students and staff during this difficult time, knowing that there may not be answers to many of the questions people may have.

In the coming days, additional psychological support will be available for those who want additional help in managing these difficult events. Assistance will be available at Jefferson on Friday, June 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for staff and 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for students and families. Additional sessions will follow.

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