LOGAN — A 49-year-old former schoolteacher has been charged with stalking after allegedly confronting a former colleague in her classroom and admitting to investigators that he intended to frighten her, according to court documents.
Ryan Murray Reynolds was booked temporarily into the Cache County Jail on Aug. 26 on suspicion of stalking following an investigation by the Cache County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the charge stems from a series of escalating encounters involving Reynolds and a fellow teacher. The victim told deputies the conflict began when she offered Reynolds a hug because he appeared visibly upset. Reynolds allegedly held her tightly, refused to let go, asked for a second hug, and nuzzled her neck.
When the woman told Reynolds the following day that the physical contact had made her uncomfortable, he asked her not to report the incident for fear of losing his house and job, the affidavit states. Following additional workplace incidents, the woman reported him to human resources, which led to Reynolds’ termination. Authorities said Reynolds blamed the victim for the firing and grew fixated on disrupting her life.
Investigators outlined three separate stalking incidents that caused the victim emotional distress. Over the summer, the woman’s son reported seeing Reynolds’ vehicle near their residence and stated that Reynolds approached him in the driveway to ask for his mother. On Aug. 17, Reynolds knocked on the victim’s front door and was turned away by her husband.
The tension escalated on Aug. 24 during a school back-to-school night. Although Reynolds has a child enrolled at the school, the student was not assigned to the victim’s classroom. A deputy noted that Reynolds went well out of his way to enter her room, where he remained for nearly an hour before a principal directed him to leave. During the encounter, Reynolds allegedly told the woman she had ruined his life, threatened to make false reports and email parents, and vowed to sue to garnish her wages until she lost her job.
Following his arrest, Reynolds waived his Miranda rights and admitted to all three confrontations. Deputies said Reynolds confessed that he wanted to “scare” the teacher and cause her fear, acknowledging he knew she struggled with anxiety.
According to court records, Cache County prosecutors filed a criminal case against Reynolds, Friday in Logan’s 1st District Court. He was charged with one count of stalking, a second-degree felony, and scheduled to make an initial appearance before a judge Nov. 23.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.