Pink signs dot front yards and roadsides around Severna Park much like election season, but the messages they carry have nothing to do with politics.

“We believe them. #JusticeNOTServed,” one reads.

“WE STAND WITH OUR GIRLS,” another says. “End Child Sex Abuse.”

The signs refer to the eight girls who came forward last year alleging their elementary school math teacher touched them inappropriately, leading to a slew of criminal charges against Matthew Schlegel.

But, after about a monthlong trial that ended in June, an Anne Arundel County jury was not convinced enough to find Schlegel, 45, guilty of any crime, acquitting him on all but three offenses for which they couldn’t agree on a verdict. Prosecutors then dropped the remaining misdemeanor assault counts.

The outcome inspired outrage in affluent Severna Park, known for its stellar schools, leaving parents of the accusers, their classmates and many in the community with questions: Would Schlegel, a career educator, be allowed to return to the classroom? Would he remain employed by the school system at all?

They might have to wait for answers.

“At this time, Matthew Schlegel remains fully employed by Anne Arundel County Public Schools,” spokesperson Bob Mosier said in a statement Wednesday. “As a 10-month employee, he does not work in the summer and is, therefore, not currently assigned to a work location.”

Echoing word-for-word what he said in mid June, Mosier continued, “our school district is now finalizing its review of the matter consistent with our internal processes. We will make further decisions regarding Mr. Schlegel’s status and employment assignment in accordance with our obligations under state law.”

Mosier added that he “would not speculate at all on when those decisions may be made.”

Some don’t want to wait. The accusers’ parents and others in their communities want swift, decisive action from the school system. They have launched a petition calling for Schlegel’s termination.

“You cannot believe even one of these girls and allow this teacher back into the classroom again,” the attorney for some of the families, Thiru Vignarajah, told reporters Wednesday outside the Anne Arundel County Board of Education building in Annapolis.

Behind Vignarajah stood about 50 people clad in pink shirts and ribbons, among them parents of the accusers, about a dozen teachers from Severna Park Elementary who worked alongside Schlegel and members of the community around the school.

Vignarajah said school system policy dictates Schlegel should be terminated for the alleged sexual abuse. But if he’s not fired, the attorney said, officials should “just do the right thing: Don’t let him near the kids again.”

The father of one of the accusers, who declined to provide his name because he didn’t want it to be used to identify his child, echoed Vignarajah’s sentiments.

“It would be completely offensive, it would be completely reckless, for this teacher to be allowed back in the classroom,” the man said.

One of Schlegel’s attorneys, Patrick Seidel, told The Banner he doesn’t expect Schlegel to be setting up his third grade classroom over the next month to teach math in the fall, but he thinks it’s unfair to ask whether he wants to continue teaching.

“That’s his job. It’s always been his job. He was a teacher for more than 16 years,” said Seidel, adding that Schlegel studied education, met his wife in the profession and has children in elementary school. “This is not just a profession for him. It’s his entire life.”

Seidel said the community is ignoring revelations from the trial, such as children saying they were abused at times when records show they weren’t even in the class or saying Schlegel touched them at school when video showed the teacher at home. Given the acquittal, he said, his client deserves the opportunity to move on.

But, Seidel said, “if going to school means he has to walk through a parade of pink [signs] every day, that’s harassment. Nobody wants to do that.”

Seidel said the defense team always maintained the allegations were false.

“To see these parents who started these vicious rumors now trying to go for his job reinforces our defense in his criminal case,” Seidel said. “These families continue to try to harass him in unacceptable ways. There are going to be consequences to that behavior. We’re going to follow the rule of law, which is what I would expect any attorney to do, and we’re going to explore any legal means available.”

His comments suggest the legal saga may be far from over.

Already, at least one family of a child who says Schlegel touched them sued the county education board, the principal of Severna Park Elementary and Schlegel on allegations ranging from negligent hiring and supervision to battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Vignarajah told reporters more lawsuits were expected.

Three parents used their testimony at the school board’s redistricting meeting Wednesday to criticize the system’s handling of Schlegel’s alleged abuse.

Ben Levinger, a father of two boys, said his son was a student of Schlegel’s when the teacher was removed from the classroom in spring 2024 without explanation. He said he received no guidance on what to do or not to do after families were told students had accused Schlegel of abuse.

“Each family made decisions on their own, which led to problems,” he said. “It was an overwhelming and painful moment to be a parent in our community.”

Jeremiah Grossman noted that students who experience sexual misconduct involving an educator are significantly more likely to use drugs or alcohol and to attempt suicide or find themselves in abusive relationships. The costs of failing to prevent or respond appropriately to such abuse, he argued, are too high.

And Jennifer Hansel urged the district to adopt policy changes.

She asked board members to recommend immediate reassignment of staff members accused of abuse, work to build trauma-informed school communities and ensure transparency by providing the community with data on the number of abuse allegations reported and their outcomes.

Schlegel’s fate within the school system remains unclear, but he’ll have the support of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County while the district conducts an internal review, union President Kristina M. Korona said in an email.

“Like every tenured employee, Matthew Schlegel is entitled to due process,” Korona said. “And, just as we do for every member of our union, TAAAC will ensure that his rights are upheld.”

Baltimore Banner reporter Dylan Segelbaum contributed to this story.