BOISE, Idaho — A former Boise junior high principal pleaded not guilty to felony injury to a child in court Wednesday afternoon.
Idaho's online court database shows former Fairmont Junior High School Principal Christopher Ryan voluntarily appeared in front of an Ada County judge during his arraignment where he pleaded not guilty. He was charged on Oct. 4.
The judge set his trial for February 2024.
As KTVB previously reported, Ryan was charged with the felony earlier this month. This is the third charge he's faced after parents accused him of failing to protect students from a school social worker who allegedly sexually abused them.
In January, Ryan was charged with failing to report child abuse. In May, a misdemeanor charge of injury to a child was added. Both of those prior charges were later dismissed.
In his grand jury indictment, obtained through a public records request, Ryan is accused of willfully causing or allowing a 13- to 14-year-old child to be put in a situation that endangered his or her "health or person, while having care and/or custody of the child." The indictment specifically states that between March 1 and December 13, 2022, Ryan allowed unsupervised contact between a man and the child at the school "while having notice that the adult male was behaving in a way that was inappropriate and/or unlawful toward the child."
Ryan, the junior high and the school district also face three lawsuits from parents related to these allegations, claiming they were "negligent." Court documents claim the children were "exposed to a known, grave risk of harm and endured and suffered severe physical and emotional distress."
Jeffrey Brownson, Ryan's Attorney, told KTVB via email on Thursday that Ryan is a dedicated educator and altogether innocent of any wrongdoing.
"The state previously attempted to bring criminal charges against him, which were dismissed. Mr. Ryan has again pled not guilty to the most recent charge and will vigorously defend himself against any claim that he has done anything wrong. Mr. Ryan and his family look forward to him finally having his day in court," Brownson said.
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