Windsor substitute teacher found not guilty of sex assault-related charges

A Windsor substitute teacher has been found not guilty of several sexual assault-related charges after a trial last week.

Aram Raihana was found not guilty on five counts of sexual assault and five counts of sexual interference after a trial at the Ontario Court of Justice between July 4 and July 7.

He was a substitute teacher with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board

Windsor police arrested Raihana in January, 2022. He was 34 years old at the time.

The Windsor Police Service Major Crime Unit launched an investigation in December 2021 into allegations of multiple students being sexually assaulted.

It was alleged that the teacher was touching children inappropriately. Police say five victims came forward, all under the age of 18.

Toronto lawyer Dean Embry, one of the lawyers representing Raihana in court, says with three of the complaints, the trial judge found that none of Raihana's behaviour amounted of any criminal conduct and he was found innocent.

“He's always maintained his innocence and so at the end of the trail when he was vindicated, he was very emotional and thankful myself, the judge and to have his day on court. To be vindicated like that was really great for him,” says Embry.

In another complaint the judge, according to Embry, found significant reliability and credibility issues.

The final one was with one other student and the trial judge found there was significant reliability and credibility issues with her evidence such that he could not believe her evidence and therefore Raihana was found not guilty on all charges.

Embry says a fifth student did not testify during proceedings.

He says several of the complaints involved allegations in a public classroom setting.

“For the bulk of them he was alleged to have touched students on the shoulder or back. With one student he was alleged to have touched a student on the chest, leg or thigh, which is always the much more serious allegation. But that was specifically the one that had the most reliability and credibility issues,” says Embry.

The journey is not over for Raihana. Now that the court process is over, he will go before the Ontario College of Teachers and try to have his status changed from inactive and non/practicing to active and practicing.