“Several community members supported the nomination.”
She paused.
“I found some of those claims odd.”
“Because you’ve never seen him,” I said.
She sighed. “Rarely. But Richard is well known. Several community members supported the nomination, and having six children made his involvement sound credible.”
“I’m not asking you to give the award to me.”
I asked how much the school had verified.
Her expression answered for her.
“Not enough,” she said quietly.
“I’m not asking you to give the award to me,” I said. “I don’t want another ceremony or another public spectacle. I just don’t want the school knowingly leaving a false award in place.”
The school had compared Richard’s claims with attendance records.
Mrs. Carter nodded.
“We’ll investigate this immediately. I’ll speak with the teachers who contributed to the nomination and review what Richard submitted.”
Two days later, Mrs. Carter called.
The school had compared Richard’s claims with attendance records, volunteer lists, and statements from the teachers who actually worked with our children. Several things he had presented as regular involvement could not be verified. Combined with what the children had described, the decision was unanimous.
