RAPE CHARGES AGAINST TEACHER DROPPED

George Zanetis, a 44 year old Queens high school teacher, was arrested and charged with raping a 16 year old female student.  Zanetis is a teacher at Aviation High School for the last 13 years and has no arrest record.  He was arraigned on the third-degree rape charge at Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead and released on $5,000 bail yesterday.  Zanetis was ordered to stay away from his alleged victim.  

After he was charged with statutory rape two years ago, Zanetis lost his job, lost his wife and lost contact with his two children.  Today, the charges that caused his life to fall apart were dropped by the Nassau district attorney's office.  In recent months, prosecutors preparing for his trial could not reach the girl and ultimately could not make their case without her.  

(New York)