Former Hall Monitor and Coach Exonerated *
By James Haynes, The Daily Item of Lynn, Tuesday, March 22, 2005

LYNN - More than two years after being accused of forcing himself on a Lynn Classical student, and an investigation he likened to a "witch hunt," a six-member jury cleared a former youth sports coach and Lynn Classical hall monitor of assault and indecent assault and battery charges.
The Lynn District Court jury on Monday exonerated Harry Prunier, 35, of 66 Hillside Ave., of allegations that emerged in November of 2002, when a then 17-year-old female student accused him of luring her into a storage room at the school and attempting to kiss her.
"I'm more relieved for my family and my three kids, and the kids in the community who looked up to me," Prunier said Monday after the verdict was returned. "For almost three years, this has dragged my name, and my family name, which has strong Lynn ties, through the mud. I'm relieved it's settled. I'm not here to prove other people wrong, it's for the people who have supported me throughout this thing."
When the case came to trial last week, Prunier faced charges of indecent assault and battery, and assault and battery, which the District Attorney's office changed to assault. The trial opened Thursday, concluding shortly before 2 p.m. Monday.
Gary Zerola, one of Prunier's two defense attorneys -Joseph Krowski Jr. of Brockton also served on the defense team - said jurors took little time returning its verdict.
"These jurors, five women and one man it should be noted, returned a not- guilty verdict in what I think was less than 15 minutes. I think that's an important punctuation to this case," said Zerola. "It didn't get dragged out for days, they came to a very quick decision that the evidence against Harry was just not credible."
Steven O'Connell, spokesman for Essex Country District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, declined to comment, saying the DA's office does not comment on not-guilty findings.
Zerola said the alleged victim's version of events has changed on several occasions since the initial complaint was made.
"It changed from what she told another hall monitor after the alleged incident occurred. That was dramatically different from what she told school officials, and that was different from what she told police. The story kept changing," Zerola said. "People need to realize anyone can make an accusation. When someone is accused of something on the front page of a paper, it's important to reserve judgment until he or she has their day in court and a jury determines guilt or innocence."
The alleged victim is also the plaintiff in a civil complaint against the city of Lynn, school department officials, Mayor Edward Clancy, Jr. and every member of the Lynn School Committee, filed earlier this fall, alleging the department allowed Prunier to continue working after the allegations surfaced, and that a hall camera covering where the incident allegedly took place was malfunctioning.
Prunier is also listed in the civil case, on charges of indecent assault and battery, assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Neither Assistant City Solicitor James Lamanna nor Joseph Machera, the Revere-based attorney representing the alleged victim, could be reached for comment on the possible impact on the civil suit of Monday's not-guilty finding. For the moment, Prunier said he is more concerned with getting his life back on track. Although his wife, children, and many friends and family supported him throughout the criminal case, the accusations left him suspended without pay from his position and forced him to give up coaching.
Although vindicated by the jury, Prunier worried that the accusation may dog him, that people may continue to speculate.
 "This took a lot away from me. I worked for the city for five years and coached for 15, and I touched a lot of kids lives, but one accusation by this girl just dragged me through the mud," he said. "I'm sure I'll go back to coaching. One person isn't going to take away that passion I have to give back to the community."

Exonerated definition - -  absolved :  freed from any question of guilt

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