When I first saw this story, I wondered if it was clickbait. A suicide next to a pic of “the world’s most magical place”? But it’s not clickbait, bc suicide is real.
So, I read – all the articles I could find. An elementary school principal, 51, recently married (pic of him & his wife, Marlena, on next slide➡️).
As someone who works in K-12s often…& has a father whose career was spent as a principal, this really hit home. A little more bkgrnd:
Principal Chris Christensen of Huntington Beach Elementary School: who had no prior record of any entanglements/major issues w students or teachers, was the man identified at the park.
On Nov. 15, he & his wife got into a heated argument in front of their girls. His wife, fearing his anger, called the cops that nt. According to a fbook post from Chris, “However, never in this exchange did I hit, slap, or hurt Marlena in any manner. Nor did I ever touch the girls (I never have & never will).”
Chris then posted $10,000 bond & was released on Nov. 17. He pleaded not guilty to child endangerment & battery during his arraignment on Nov. 22.
He was due in court for a pre-trial conference hearing this past Monday for the 2 misdemeanor charges — which he directly blamed for his suicide in a lengthy Facebook post just before this tragic outcome.
In that post he wrote: “I’m on the brink of losing my job, as I’m out on administrative leave until my case is ‘resolved.’ My wife knows I’d never hurt her or the girls & she’s been trying to clear my name with little success.”
Why share this? I obv didn’t/don’t know Chris. But from all appearances (I’ll share a note from his superintendent on the 3rd slide➡️), he had a great track record as a long-tenured administrator. No one’s condoning his verbal tone that nt. But it appears a career educator, w a clean record, had thoughts that became irrational (feeling no way out) once he felt that his record could look tainted. These are the irrational thoughts that crush us under intense stress & even trauma.
There’s always a way out. But…these irrational thoughts/impulses can happen to ANYONE. We have to talk more openly abt them.