BOISE, Idaho — Tuesday morning, the felony case against Christopher Ryan, the former Fairmont Jr. High Principal, was dismissed.
Ryan was facing a felony Injury to Child charge, accused of failing to take action to stop an inappropriate relationship between Fairmont Junior High social worker Scott Crandell and minor students. Crandell died by suicide in 2022 after Boise Police began investigating. Ryan was the principal at the time.
Ryan's trial was set to start Tuesday, but before jury selection could begin, Judge Nancy Baskin granted the state's motion to dismiss the case and the jury trial was vacated.
Judge Baskin reviewed evidence and exhibits heading into the trial, but before the next steps could begin, the state motioned to "dismiss this case with prejudice so that it may never be brought forward again."
The state prosecutor also stated, "It has been a battle for the state to maintain the discovery issues that we fought with from the very beginning."
Both the State Attorney and Judge Baskin acknowledged the fragility of the minor victim and expressed concerns about the minor having to re-testify about the 'events' the minor experienced.
“I appreciate the state filing for this motion to be dismissed because it is in the interest of justice," said Judge Baskin.
The judge also advised Mr. Ryan to “exercise good judgment in the future.”
RELATED | Judge hears multiple motions to dismiss in former Fairmont Jr High principal felony case
In April, Ryan's lawyer presented several motions to dismiss the case. The defense questioned the grand jury process in hopes of getting the case dismissed before the trial.
Christopher Ryan is still named as a defendant in three ongoing lawsuits filed by victims' families, accused of "failing to investigate and report complaints regarding Scott Crandell's abuse and potential abuse and grooming of minors, including [their daughter], to law enforcement authorities or the Department of Health and Welfare."
Related | Former Boise principal charged with Felony Injury to Child for 2022 incident
Idaho News 6 was the first to report about the new felony charge after a previous misdemeanor case was dismissed in 2023.
