Wearing her hair down to cover her face, a South Kitsap High School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with one of her students appeared in Kitsap County Superior Court Friday to face formal charging.

Ryann C. Springer, 25, pleaded not-guilty to one count of sexual misconduct with a minor, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Her trial is scheduled for July.

Also during the hearing, Springer’s defense attorney Jeanette Dalton asked Judge Karlynn Haberly to reduce her client’s bail, which had remained at $250,000 since her arrest Tuesday afternoon. The prosecutor, however, argued to keep the bail high.

“Given the nature of her relationship with the victim, we feel it’s reasonable to assume that she may try and make contact,” the prosecutor said, adding that a lack of a prior criminal history did not necessarily mean Springer was not presently a flight risk. Haberly reduced the bail to $150,000.

Springer was arrested Tuesday afternoon after South Kitsap School District officials learned of a potential sexual relationship between the teacher and one of her 17-year-old female students.

According to the certificate of probable cause filed by the POPD, School Resource Officer Bob MacFann received a complaint regarding suspicious activity between Springer and the student. The activity was alleged to be sexual in nature and include inappropriate text messaging, touching and other behaviors.

When the alleged victim was later interviewed by MacFann and a member of the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Assault Unit, the student admitted to having sexual contact with Springer on “multiple occasions and in multiple locations,” which included the high school and Springer’s home in Gig Harbor.

The teen described the contact as inappropriate touching that had occurred at the high school, and sexual activity that occurred at Springer’s home.

SKSD spokeswoman Aimee Warthen said Springer was placed on administrative leave “pending the outcome of the investigation” after school officials learned of the potential inappropriate relationship on Monday.

Warthen said this was Springer’s first year as a staff member at SKHS, where she taught alongside Patrick Olsen, whom Springer described as her mentor, in the school’s athletic medicine program.

Port Orchard Independent Staff Writer Justine Frederiksen can be reached at jfrederiksen@portorchardindependent.com or (360) 876-4414.

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