I would like to make a brief statement in rebuttal to Mike Hashisaki’s editorial comment of Sept. 15 in the Valley Press regarding the expenditure of funds from the Plains schools budget to investigate any wrong-doing regarding alcohol consumption by minors at a graduation party.

Instead of viewing the expenditure as a waste of money and the investigation as harmful to the reputations of several families, it in fact was money used to clear their names, to establish the innocence of the accused individuals and to prevent further harm to them by continued gossip and innuendo.

However, I am sure that since Mike enjoys the use of half-truths and innuendo to defame anyone who disagrees with his self-proclaimed intellectual superiority, he will certainly disagree with this opinion.