Further Allegations Emerge Against Horn Player William VerMeulen

Multiple ex-students have come forward with stories of VerMeulen's misconduct, with one claiming that Rice University had known about his behavior "for 30 years"

Horn player and professor William VerMeulen, who retired from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music (SSM) in May 2024 after X-rated images of him appeared on the internet, is the subject of fresh allegations of sexual misconduct.

A long-form essay by Riya Misra, published collaboratively by student newspaper The Rice Thresher and Texas-based digital news outlet The Barbed Wire, has now shared further details of VerMeulen's various sexual misconduct over many years. The piece also alleges that Rice and the SSM were aware of VerMeulen's behavior and chose to do nothing about it. You can read the full essay here.

The piece includes substantial testimony from survivor Myrna Meeroff, an ex-student of VerMeulen.

"Once he realized that he wasn’t going to get anything from me,” Meeroff said, VerMeulen began "systematically destroying my confidence."

VerMeulen allegedly behaved similarly with a friend of Meeroff's, telling her that if she returned to SSM for a master's degree he would "make her life a living hell" and told her that she was "never going to be a horn player."

The Barbed Wire discovered that the earliest allegation against VerMeulen was in 1997, when he was the subject of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint and lawsuit. Furthermore, the outlet was able to find a total of 26 people who attested that VerMeulen's "reputation of sexual misbehavior was an open secret in the music world at large."

Last year, x-rated images of VerMeulen were shared on social media, and shortly after, he retired from Rice University.

Ex-student Corin Droullard, who received his master’s in 2019 under VerMeulen, told The Barbed Wire that "everyone knew there were pics floating around." Further, he alleged that "everyone knew that Rice knew. The administration has known for 30 years."

A representative of Rice University told The Violin Channel that Rice takes all concerns of harassment and misconduct seriously. We cannot disclose specific details of investigations due to privacy protections.

"We can share the faculty member retired last summer and Rice is no longer affiliated with him in any capacity," the statement continued. "Last November, the Safety and Trust Taskforce was launched with faculty and staff at the Shepherd School of Music to focus on student safety, wellbeing, and culture at the school. Dean Matthew Loden laid out a multi-phased approach to explore and implement measures to ensure safety, emotional support and inclusive practices that respect all individuals. Rice is committed to maintaining a respectful and safe environment. Sexual harassment or misconduct will not be tolerated."

VerMeulen has also served as the principal horn of the Houston Symphony since 1990. In 1985, he received a Distinguished Teacher of America Certificate of Excellence from President Reagan and the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. VerMeulen's position as Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony remains unchanged.

In response to a request for comment, a member of the Houston Symphony administration told The Violin Channel that "While we do not comment on individual personnel matters, we are carefully evaluating the situation and remain committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for our musicians, staff, and the public.

VerMeulen has also not responded to The Violin Channel's request. This is an ongoing story.