Two-and-a-half years after he was accused of sexually assaulting a former student, a London high school principal has seen charges against him withdrawn.
Michael Deeb, who has been on leave from his position as Principal of H.B. Beal Secondary School, learned on Wednesday that the Crown had withdrawn the charges on the same day his trial was to begin.
Deeb was charged in April of 2018 with sexual assault and sexual exploitation. The complainant, who alleged she was assaulted in 2000, came forward after Deeb was accused of sexual harrassment by local poet and teacher Najwa Zebian, who accused him in a social media post of harassment and abuse of power.
"He's been very humbled by the amount of support from friends and family for the last two-and-a-half years," Deeb's lawyer Faisal Joseph said of his client. "When you go through something like this, you find out who your real friends are, that's for sure."
According to Joseph, the Crown decided to withdraw the charges based on the complainant's wishes. However, he added there were other reasons.
"I think the Crown appropriately took into account all the factors, including the wishes of the complainant, the evidence from the preliminary inquiry, the contradictions in that evidence, and some of the unusual circumstances to arrive at the proper decision for the Crown to withdraw the charges. And as I told my client, the terrific nightmare is over and the presumption of innocence still means something in this country," Joseph said.
When Deeb was charged, he was placed on unpaid leave from his position at H.B. Beal Secondary School. He also stepped down as vice-chair of the London Police Services Board and from several community boards, including the Huron College Board and the St. Joseph's Health Foundation Board. Joseph said he hopes the Thames Valley District School Board will welcome him back.
"They have no basis, in my opinion, not to," he said.
Joseph added that a defamation suit against Zebian will be going forward.