I recently heard a radio host, a self-proclaimed recovering alcoholic, say that during the holiday season he is very careful to be photographed at parties only drinking water. And he makes sure it's bottled water so it's not mistaken for alcohol, lest anyone think he's fallen off the wagon. How sad. What if someone accused you of being an alcoholic or a prescription drug abuser? A liar or a cheat? I wonder what it would be like to live your life constantly having to prove you "didn't" do something wrong? I guess it would feel like walking on eggs, never daring to lose your temper in public and always having to be perfect at every turn.

I thought about this when I saw last week's Cobb County school board meeting. A number of principals were accused of "coercing" teachers to vote in favor of the balanced calendar on a district-sponsored online poll.

The charge was originally leveled at the November meeting by board member Allison Bartlett, who claimed hearing from teachers at five schools (which she later changed to two). Chairman John Abraham requested an investigation be launched.

The results were revealed and investigator Dr. Linda Bernknopf found the vote took place "without any effort to coerce."

Two of the most impressive results were the interviews with the education groups PAGE and CCAE, both of which said they receive multiple complaints a week from teachers about principals but had received none on this issue. And the fact that one of the implicated principals was actually out of town during the online polling period.

But will these principal's good names ever really be cleared? Can anyone's reputation truly be restored after being accused? Fellow principals turned out in droves to speak and stand in support of their peers that night. I think this was the most moving part of this entire episode. I wonder how many of us would receive such an honor? However, there will always be that element in society, those who look for a conspiracy under every rock, who will continue to believe in their guilt in the face of the evidence. Simply because they were accused.

The "conspiracy theorists" who find refuge in anonymity on the blogs will cause the fog to never lift. My heart goes out to the innocent. When their names are "Googled" this will come up and follow them when they look for other employment. Every employer is looking for the squeaky clean.

We all make mistakes. Your humble columnist has made as many as any reader. However, I've found that the public is very good about forgiveness, because we're all faulted and need that absolution ourselves. I believe what people look for is strength of character to stand up and take personal accountability for those mistakes. To say, "I'm sorry. I'll do better next time."

It's obvious Ms. Bartlett is very dedicated to her job. But with all due respect, I think it's time she put her "big girl pants" on and say that she confused second-hand, or third-hand, rumor with fact. She did not take the time to truly check things out before making some career-altering accusations. When she sat up on that podium in November and made that statement, she was not sitting around with a bunch of friends gossiping. She had a higher responsibility. One as an elected official and one in which she should have been aware of the burden of slander. No parsing of the word "coerced" is going to absolve her of this responsibility.

And to those who knowingly perpetrate false rumors (in this instance and others) without regard to how it can destroy lives, I suggest they look in the mirror. While doing so, proudly proclaim "I'm an honest person. I make the world a better place and I am a great role model for my children."

How does that resound in your soul? No wonder so much of this takes place subversively. You only get one reputation in life. It's difficult to build, impossible to rebuild.

Let's all please remember this before we throw stones at anyone. Because those stones can have powerful ripples.

JoEllen Smith is an education activist and freelance writer in east Cobb.