A Roslyn man is putting the pieces of his broken life back together after finally being cleared of rape charges.

George Zanetis lost his teaching job at Aviation High School in Queens after a 16-year-old student accused him of statutory rape in 2004. He says his family and friends soon followed. Now, two years after his arrest, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice is dropping the charges. Rice says the girl recanted her original allegation and has refused to cooperate.

Zanetis denied accusations of a sexual relationship with the teen, saying he only dropped her off at the subway station after school a few times. He says a fellow teacher saw her getting into his car, which sparked an investigation from the school district. Zanetis says he is looking forward to getting on with his life and putting the incident behind him. He says he hopes his teaching license is reinstated, and he would like to return to Aviation High School.