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KITCHENER
Charges against former Kitchener vice principal dismissed

January 22, 2021
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KITCHENER — A former vice-principal at schools in Kitchener and Waterloo has been found not guilty of sex charges involving teenage boys.Reuben Lazar, 49, was charged with four offences — two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference and sexual exploitation — involving two alleged victims.Justice Gary Hearn dismissed all charges on Wednesday.“This is a difficult case and my judgment is not meant to be a condemnation of the evidence of the various witnesses nor should (Lazar) take this as a vindication,” Hearn said, ruling the Crown failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.Lazar was convicted in 2018 of sexual interference involving a boy and was sentenced to 10 months in jail. More charges were laid when three other alleged victims came forward.Charges tied to one alleged victim — sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and sexual assault — were dismissed at the request of the Crown at Lazar's trial last month.A court order bans publication of any information that could identify the alleged victims.“I've considered the whole of the evidence ... and I've had the opportunity to hear and observe the witnesses give their evidence,” Hearn said. “I've considered the reliability and the credibility of the witnesses and I've kept in mind the onus on the Crown to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.“At the end of the day, I'm not satisfied the Crown has met its onus. I'm unsure of the guilt of (Lazar) and the charges will be dismissed.”The judge noted Lazar did not have to prove his innocence.“The presumption of innocence together with the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt are important safeguards to ensure that no innocent person is convicted of an offence and deprived of his or her liberty,” he said.An accused can't be convicted if a judge believes he is only probably guilty.“If all I can say at the end of the day is that (he) is likely guilty, I must acquit him. I must be sure that he committed the offences charged.”Crown prosecutor Brendan Thomas had said at trial there was no evidence the two alleged victims met to tailor their stories before testifying in court, but defence lawyer Brennan Smart argued the court should have “serious concerns” about the reliability of the testimony.The judge said he was not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that there was no collusion.“It's difficult to show actual collusion ... Still, the evidence certainly supports the proposition there were many opportunities for (them) to get together to tailor their evidence either intentionally or unintentionally.”Lazar started with the Waterloo Region District School Board in 2003 and worked at six schools in Waterloo Region. He was a vice-principal at MacGregor Public School in Waterloo and later a vice-principal at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener.He was first charged in 2016 and placed on administrative leave. Lazar resigned from the school board in June 2018.Gordon Paul is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on crime for The Record. Reach him via email: gpaul@therecord.com