We've said it before here and we'll say it again: Baltimore County officials, from superintendent Joe A. Hairston down to Carver A&T principal Karen Steele and her counterpart at Chesapeake, Maria Lowry, should answer questions about the fight that cost the two schools their basketball seasons.

While the decision may very well be warranted and more appropriate than the two-game forfeits that were ordered after the Jan. 4 fight, the choice to force Carver A&T and Chesapeake to surrender their seasons should be explained to all schools and to the public so that kids and their parents can understand the potential consequences of that kind of conduct.

On a lesser scale, the forfeiture of the remainder of both schools' seasons now affects not only Carver A&T and Chesapeake, but every other school in the state, since wins and losses help determine potential seedings for the state tournament. Hairston's smiling face adorns the front page of the county schools' Web page. He ought to show that face to the public and/or the media to explain what happened and what he did about it.