Clinton coach works to rebuild life after sex assault charges dropped

Glen Isaac Darden said the indecent liberties charges, which were dropped on Feb. 9, 2015, turned his life into a living nightmare.

The charges were dropped because the victim was no longer interested in prosecuting the case, according to Wayne County Assistant District Attorney Curtis Stackhouse. The dismissal does not validate that a crime did not occur, Stackhouse said.

Darden says the student accused him of attempting to kiss her after he refused to help pay for some of her school fees.

"This girl said I grabbed her in my room and tried to kiss her because she asked me to help pay for her cap and gown dues," he said.

Darden, who says he is a deacon at his church, says the charges ruined his reputation.

"I just went into a stage where people that you trust, and now this encounter, they just turn their back on you," Darden said. "You were arrested for it...you did it. Innocent until proven guilty, I don't believe that no more."

Darden says he's lost about $20,000 after being fired by the high school and spent another $20,000 on three attorneys to defend himself against the charges. He says his faith in the justice system has been shattered.

"That's out the window. Once you're arrested for something, the public and the people around you, they look at you like you did it regardless of how long they've known you."

Darden served as the junior varsity basketball coach at Eastern Wayne High School beginning in 2003. He says he retired from the Air Force after serving in three wars.