From Dallas, Texas ...

"Rather than an apology to the construction worker, all involved believe it's a wake-up call concerning the 'possibility' of an attack. ... Where is the outrage at a false allegation and concern for the real victim --- an innocent construction worker?"

From "Disgusted at the times," came this ...

"It amazes me that this story can turn into the subject of what if this young girl had been molested, when it should actually be about how easy she lied. Let's look at the fact of it. If this lie hadn't been brought to light, this construction worker AND HIS FAMILY would have been the subject of not only prosecution, but persecution."

From a reader in New York ...

"I wonder why you, in your journalistic integrity, aren't calling for workers at the school to be better protected from false accusations from obviously troubled children. What would've happened to this man had they not had video surveillance? His world would've been ripped apart and he would've had a hard time proving himself innocent."

This one comes from a reader in Pittsburgh ...

"The implications of this lie were potentially devastating because if the lie had its intended effect, an innocent man would have been sent away to prison for decades. Apparently no one with whom you spoke was concerned about the fact that a man, and his loved ones, might have had their lives destroyed over this lie."

The full text of my reply ... 

Thank you for your note. I'm hoping my reply will give you some insight into our reporting of the story, and our efforts to accurately do so.

First, I'll say that I am aware of the damage that false accusations can do to anyone --- men and women, alike. After all, I work for a newspaper and am an avid news reader.

As for the situation at Perry Hall Middle School, from the very first day, it was clear to me (from my interviews with police and school officials) that video surveillance tapes were providing ample information to prompt further scrutiny of the girl's story. The existence of those tapes was reported in my stories. From my additional conversations with the principal, it was also apparent that the tapes were providing significant information for investigators.

Even school officials, from the outset, acknowledged that they work to ensure as much distance as possible between construction workers (or contract workers, in general) and students/teachers/staff. So, it doesn't strike me as unreasonable that parents would subsequently see this situation as an opportunity to further tighten those controls.

The executive director for the National Safe Schools Coalition told me that he generally advises schools to develop contracts with contractors that call for separate entrances to work areas, etc., as precautionary measures. He says most contractors are likewise interested in alleviating any gray areas.

In the end, as I have shared with another reader who called me today, it's unfair to assume the school system and legal authorities aren't taken the girl's false allegations seriously. As I reported, the school system is prohibited from discussing with us what, if any, consequences the girl may face (such as suspension or expulsion). And the state's attorney's office made it clear, as we reported, that they felt confident the girl's family was best suited to handle this situation.

One of the questions I asked of all the parents to whom I spoke was whether they worried that these false allegations would cause them to initially doubt other reports of similar accusations, should this ever happen again. Most of them said it was unfortunate, that one who lies can create this layer of doubt for all others. Again, they came back to the point that it would be better to take this as an opportunity to tighten those controls at the school site to avoid being in this position again.

Gina