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Article from the Bakersfield Californian, June 18, 2011 BY JORGE BARRIENTOS, Californian staff writer: "All charges have been dropped against a Foothill High School community counselor accused of several crimes against students on campus -- including annoying a child and false imprisonment. The Kern County District Attorney's office dropped three misdemeanor charges against Librado Martinez Varela, 40: touching a person intimately against his or her will for sexual arousal, false imprisonment and annoying a child under 18 years of age. Varela has worked in the Kern High School District for more than 10 years, and since 1999 as a community specialist, a liaison position between the community and school. He has had no official reprimands by KHSD, and no adult criminal history in Kern County, local records show. "Mr. Varela is ecstatic to be exonerated and have his innocence affirmed," attorney Kyle Humphrey said in a statement. "Mr. Varela wishes to move on with his life, family, and career now that his good name has been restored." At the center of the case were accusations by four female students of wrongdoing on Foothill's campus from December 2009 to January 2010, according to arrest records -- including asking a girl to have sex, kissing another, and groping another while refusing to let her escape from his office. Humphrey said witnesses including family members of an accuser came forward and established that Varela was a victim of "scandal and outright fabrication." On Thursday, a relative of the accuser told Humphrey an accuser told the District Attorney's office she had lied, Humphrey said. Brandon Stallings, deputy district attorney, would not confirm nor deny that. He said his office believed there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the charges were true. Initially, the Kern County Sheriff's Office arrested Varela on six counts, including felony charges: sexual battery and assault with intent. At the time, Humphrey maintained the events never took place, and blasted investigators who "get fired up and automatically assume guilt." "You have a situation where much of this could have been cleared up by a non-antagonist approach," Humphrey said in February. Lies and false accusations, like those against Varela, "destroy lives," he said Friday. Varela, Humphrey said, would like to go back to working with students, and plans to celebrate with his wife and kids. When the charges were filed, KHSD placed Varela on unpaid administrative leave because of the nature of the allegations. Community counselors like Varela aren't working right now because it's summer but it's anticipated that Varela will have a job with the district when school resumes, KHSD spokesman John Teves said. Teves said he believes Varela will be due back wages once prosecutors officially notify KHSD that the charges have been dropped."
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