The sex abuse trial of Severna Park Elementary School third-grade teacher Matthew Schlegel lasted about one month, but the case against him ended with a whimper on Tuesday in five minutes.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Pamela K. Alban promptly took the bench at 1:30 p.m. and asked prosecutors whether they had a preliminary motion.

That’s when Assistant State’s Attorney Anastasia Prigge, chief of the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office’s Special Victim’s Unit, announced that prosecutors would not retry him.

Schlegel, 45, of Severna Park, was found not guilty on June 17 in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court of 18 out of 21 charges: sexual abuse of a minor and third- and fourth-degree sex offense.

The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of second-degree assault after about 19 hours of deliberations.

Prigge said her team spent the last several weeks poring over their notes, seeking the advice of legal experts and researching different trial strategies.

Prosecutors, she said, concluded after a thorough review that there was “not a path forward at a second trial where there is a reasonable belief that the defendant will be found guilty in a criminal forum.”

“We do believe the children involved in this case were victims at the hand of the defendant,” Prigge said. “However, without the reasonable expectation of winning in a criminal forum, we are unable to ethically proceed forward with further continued criminal prosecution.”

Alban then dismissed the remaining counts.

“It’s the right decision,” said Patrick Seidel, one of Schlegel’s attorneys, in an interview. “I’m glad they came to the conclusion that they did.”

At first, Schlegel faced a total of 55 counts that alleged he sexually abused eight students between 2022 and 2024 in his classroom.

But prosecutors before opening statements dropped 22 charges related to three of the girls after determining that it would be detrimental to their mental health for them to testify at trial. Assistant state’s attorneys then dismissed an additional 12 counts.

Outside the Anne Arundel County Courthouse after the trial, protesters held a demonstration. Family members of the girls later called a news conference across from Severna Park Elementary School and vowed that the fight was not over.

Schlegel is now fully employed at this time, said Bob Mosier, a spokesperson for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

“As a 10-month employee, he does not work in the summer and is, therefore, not currently assigned to a work location,” Mosier said in a statement. “As we have stated previously, 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.”

In a statement, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said her office believes the victims and takes challenging cases to trial on behalf of those who are most vulnerable in the community.

But Leitess noted that jurors were deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal on the remaining counts after a monthlong trial. Prosecutors, she said, also “will not risk harm to children for the sake of a charge or case.”

Leitess said assistant state’s attorneys are bound to follow ethical guidelines.

“Because we have no reasonable expectation of securing a conviction in a retrial on these three misdemeanor counts, it would be unethical for us to pursue this matter any further,” she said.

Following the hearing, Thiru Vignarajah, a former Maryland deputy attorney general who represents some of the families, said the result is “not disappointing, it’s sickening.”

“I don’t know what else to say except the courage of these young girls was not matched by the needed courage of our public officials,” Vignarajah said.

The mother of one of the girls told reporters that prosecutors have “an obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens: our children. And they failed us again today.”

Despite prosecutors declining to proceed with a second trial, she said she hopes that other children will come forward — and Schlegel is held accountable to the fullest extent under the law.