Man who took his own life was principal accused of child endangerment

A man who took his own life posted a chilling note in the hours before his death, exposing a secret he’d had for more than three years.

Lee Brown - New York Post

3 min read

December 13, 2022 - 7:24AM

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A man who took his own life was a school principal due in court in a matter of days on child endangerment and battery charges – which he blasted in a note on social media.

The man was identified by authorities as Christopher Christensen, 51, who had been the principal of Huntington Beach elementary schools for 22 years, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Court records show that he was due in court for a pre-trial conference hearing on Monday for the two misdemeanour charges – which he directly blamed for his suicide in a lengthy Facebook post.

“I hate when people leave this Earth with so many unanswered questions. So, I hope this provides some insight and perspective,” the proud one-time “administrator of the year” told his Facebook friends, according to the NY Post.

Mr Christensen posted a lengthy note on social media before taking his life.

Christopher Christensen, 51, blasted the charges in an online note just before his suicide.

In the note, he introduced friends to “my wife, Marlena,” writing: “Yes, you heard me correctly. Most of you don’t know this but we privately married 3½ years ago.

“Marlena and I love and adore each other and our relationship has been amazing … up until recently,” he wrote alongside photos of them on their wedding day.

“Unfortunately, two weeks ago she and I got into a heated argument at home in front of the girls,” he explained, admitting that “tempers were flared and strong words were exchanged”.

“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 and never will),” he stressed, saying he loved the girls “like my own“.

“Unfortunately, Marlena’s anger got the best of her that night and she called the police, which landed me in jail that night. Yes, me! A man who has never hit or harmed ANYONE in his life!” he wrote.

He claimed that his secret wife “truly regrets making that call, because the events of that night have completely unravelled both of our lives”.

Mr Christensen revealed for the first time he was married in the post.

“I am on the brink of losing my job, as I am out on administrative leave until my case is ‘resolved,’” he wrote of the case, which court records show he pleaded not guilty to in his November 22 appearance.

His wife “knows I would never hurt her or the girls” — and “has been trying to clear my name with little success,” he wrote.

“So, here I am … writing my final FB post to all of you.”

“I need you all to know that a gentle, kind, loving and sincerely good man has been destroyed. It really is unfortunate! This is NOT me! This is NOT something that I ever thought would happen to me,” he wrote.

His sign-off included a touching tribute to the “past 21+ years” during which he “truly loved educating and leading thousands of students and families as a principal” in the Fountain Valley School District.

The note Mr Christensen left before taking his life.

“Please remember me for all the good I brought to the world of education,” he wrote, while also thanking fellow musicians who have performed alongside him “over the past 30 years”.

“There is so much more I want to say, but I am going to spend the rest of today reaching out to those closest to me to let them know how much I love them,” he wrote in the tragic note.

Local Court records do not detail the exact allegations against Christensen.

The alleged acts happened on November 15, and Christensen posted a $US10,000 ($A15,000) bond and was released on November 17. He then pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and battery during his arraignment on November 22.