Protesters converged outside the Anne Arundel County Courthouse on Wednesday in support of five students who testified that their third-grade teacher at Severna Park Elementary School sexually abused them in his classroom, holding up pink signs with phrases including, “We stand with our girls.”

The demonstration came less than 24 hours after a jury found Matthew Schlegel not guilty in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court of 18 out of 21 charges against him: sexual abuse of a minor and third- and fourth-degree sex offense.

Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of second-degree assault.

Circuit Judge Pamela K. Alban later ordered Schlegel, 45, of Severna Park, to be released from the Jennifer Road Detention Center on his own recognizance as prosecutors decide how to move forward. He’s not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with children — except for his two sons.

Alban stated that she had no reason to believe that Schlegel would not show up to court and noted that the circumstances of the case have changed.

“The court, in good conscience, cannot continue to hold him in the detention center,” Alban said.

Peter O’Neill, one of Schlegel’s attorneys, argued that his client should not continue to be held in jail for even one more minute.

“The jury has spoken,” O’Neill said. “It’s time for the jury’s verdict to be heard by everyone.”

O’Neill also contended that the remaining three counts should be dismissed.

Schlegel’s wife, Sarah, who’s assistant principal of Chesapeake Science Point Elementary School in Hanover, sat in the first row of the courtroom gallery behind her husband. One of the jurors also attended the hearing but declined to comment.

Assistant State’s Attorney Anastasia Prigge, chief of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office’s Special Victim’s Unit, acknowledged that the circumstances of the case were now different.

Prosecutors, she said, needed more time to decide how to proceed.

Alban scheduled another hearing for July 1 and stated that she wanted to review case law.

Schlegel initially had been facing 55 charges that alleged he sexually abused eight students. But before opening statements, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped 22 counts related to three of the girls after determining that it would be detrimental to their mental health for them to testify at trial.

Prosecutors later dismissed an additional 12 charges.

Outside the courtroom, Patrick Seidel, one of Schlegel’s attorneys, said he believes that his client will be in shock for a long time.

Seidel also pondered how Schlegel can move forward.

“These are accusations that stain you for the rest of your life,” Seidel said.

Schlegel testified in his own defense and repeatedly denied the allegations.

In a statement, Bob Mosier, a spokesperson for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said Schlegel will now be paid because the jury found him not guilty of all the felony charges.

“Our school district will now finalize its review of the matter consistent with our internal processes and will make further decisions regarding Mr. Schlegel’s status and employment assignment in accordance with our obligations under state law,” Mosier said.

Following the hearing, protesters chased after the defense attorneys while booing and cursing at them. Demonstrators also held up their signs and chanted, “We believe the girls!”

“Not fair! Not fair! I hate what you did to my daughter!” one of the mothers of the girls cried. “I don’t know how to live here!”

She then collapsed and grabbed onto the top of a short brick wall outside the courthouse while in tears.