Newland Elementary School Principal Chris Christensen (Courtesy of FVSD)
A man who jumped to his death from a parking structure at Disneyland on Saturday night was the principal of a Huntington Beach elementary school and a musician who taught and played throughout Southern California.
Christopher Christensen, 51, of Westminster, also faced misdemeanor child endangerment and battery charges after he was arrested last month. He was due in court on Monday, Dec. 5.
On Saturday around 9 p.m., Christensen was found dead after someone reported a man fell from the Mickey & Friends parking structure, according to Anaheim police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Police said his death was likely a suicide.
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Christensen, who was the principal at Newland Elementary School, left a lengthy post on his Facebook page on Saturday.
“I hate when people leave this Earth with so many unanswered questions. So, I hope this provides some insight and perspective…” he wrote.
The note described a dispute in which police had been summoned.
“I am on the brink of losing my job,” he wrote. “So, here I am…writing my final FB post to all of you. I need you all to know that a gentle, kind, loving and sincerely good man has been destroyed by one unfortunate night.”
According to Orange County Superior Court records, Christensen was charged on Nov. 22 with the misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and battery. Christensen pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The court records show the alleged acts were believed to have occurred on Nov. 15. Christensen was taken into custody after that — he posted $10,000 bond and was released on Nov. 17.
Details of the case were not available on Sunday. He was due in court for a pre-trial hearing on Monday.
Christensen previously was the principal at Courreges Elementary School, also in the Fountain Valley District, where he had been an administrator for 22 years.
“I have truly loved educating and leading thousands of students and families as a principal in FVSD for the past 21+ years,” he wrote on Facebook. “I have made so many wonderful connections with families over the years and those who know me closely know how much I cared for my students, staff and families. Please remember me for all the good I brought to the world of education.”
Dianna Gray said she knew Christensen for 30 years. He owned Seaside Strings in Huntington Beach, which provides string ensembles for weddings and other events. Christensen hired Gray to play at numerous events.
Christensen was a cellist and a singer, and Gray is a violinist who teaches in the Irvine Unified School District.
“He was one of my favorite people to play with because I loved his musicality. I liked how he led jobs. He was always fun, humorous, he seemed to always find the joy in the work. He was a high-level professional and he was a people person,” Gray said in an interview on Sunday.
Christensen influenced thousands of young musicians, Gray said. He was a middle school instrumental music teacher in the Long Beach Unified School District before joining the Fountain Valley district, according to the biography he wrote on the Newland website.
“There’s going to be a huge impact on a lot of young children. His kids at school absolutely loved and adored him, his teachers adored him and those who worked with him adored him,” Gray said.
Christensen had a connection to Disney. Gray said his father, Jim, was a composer with the company. According to the Don Dorsey Consulting website, Jim Christensen was a music director who helped adapt the electric-music song “Baroque Hoedown” for the Main Street Electrical Parade, one of the most popular in Disney history.
Christensen’s death came while people were still coming and going at the theme park, so many likely either witnessed the fall or the aftermath. Disneyland was open until midnight Saturday night.
An orchestra and choir gave two of the four annual performances of the Candlelight Processional, an event at the base of Disneyland’s Main Street that is watched by hundreds of slickly attired invited guests and other parkgoers.
Christensen earned his master’s degree at UC Irvine and also was principal at Fulton Middle School from 2006 to 2011, principal at Moiola K-8 School from 2003 to 2006 and assistant principal at Masuda Middle School from 2001 to 2003, according to his biography.
He raised three children of his own and two stepchildren, his bio said.
Gray said she didn’t know what prompted Christensen to end his life.
“I only knew Chris in a positive way,” she said.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or struggling with mental health issues, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (or just by dialing 988) to speak with a counselor.
Originally published at Josh Cain, Brian Rokos