BOISE, Idaho — A new lawsuit filed in federal court accuses the Boise School District and a former principal at Fairmont Junior High of failing to report concerns of abuse to authorities.
It's the second lawsuit filed in the last week, by the parents of two separate minor students who say their teen daughters were groomed and abused by the school's social worker, Scott Crandell, who died by suicide in December 2022 after police began an investigation.
The defendants — the Boise School District, Fairmont Junior High, and Christopher Ryan — were served with the latest lawsuit on Tuesday.
Mirroring accusations made in other ongoing lawsuits, the plaintiffs allege Crandell "engaged in predatory sexually abusive acts" while in his role as school social worker starting when this student was 13 years old.
In the lawsuit, the student's mother claims concerns were brought directly to Chris Ryan, who was principal at the time, on more than one occasion about Crandell texting their daughter and communicating with her at odd hours.
Crandell is also accused of regularly pulling female students out of class and into his office with the door shut and blinds closed — accusations we've seen outlined in other public documents and a behavior the new lawsuit repeats was seen by teachers and staff and reported to Principal Ryan.
The documents say the teen student was "sexually abused by Crandell" leading to "severe physical, mental, and emotional distress."
The lawsuit alleges all defendants failed to investigate, document, report, or inform others about the allegations brought to their attention over the course of several months, nor did they take action to ensure Crandell was not meeting alone with young girls at the school.
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Ryan has been on paid administrative leave with the district since May and the plaintiffs in this case are requesting a jury trial.
The district has declined to comment on pending litigation but released a statement to Idaho News 6 saying in part, "We take any and all allegations seriously and we are committed to ensuring that all students feel safe and supported throughout the reporting process. [...] Our district remains dedicated to upholding high standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability."
Chris Ryan has not responded to our request for comment.
