Help From Crenshaw

I am writing in reference to what I believe was an inadvertently misleading characterization made in an Oct. 4 article by your reporter Janny Scott.

This article, “Untruths, Half-Truths in Padded Resume,” which dealt in part with the contributions of Dr. Theresa Crenshaw to the San Diego Unified School District, focused on the extent of her involvement with the district during the time that the Board of Education was considering an admission policy for students infected with the AIDS virus. The article, unfortunately, created the impression that her contribution had been limited to participation in an AIDS workshop for district staff members.

I served as president of the board at that time, and I can attest to the fact that Dr. Crenshaw consulted with board members on several occasions and that she further provided pertinent information from professional journals, such as Lancet and the Journal of the American Medical Assn., which served to illuminate this issue. She also testified before the board on two occasions.

Although Dr. Crenshaw did not have a consulting contract with the district, I believe it would be inaccurate to dismiss her consultations as limited, inconsequential or without substance. I would hasten to add that the reporter’s characterization was probably inadvertently inaccurate inasmuch as it was based upon the comments of a district employee (Ed Fletcher, the director of health services) who was unaware of the time and effort she had contributed to provide information to board members during that period.

LARRY K. LESTER

San Diego