As a social worker licensed in the state of Maine, I read with interest your article from Oct. 31 about Don Mendell, Nokomis' guidance counselor.

I think that having Mendell's social worker license revoked is a bit extreme. Has "Ann" (another school counselor) who filed the complaint forgotten about our constitutional right of free speech?

To me it sounded like she has disagreed with him for a long time and took this opportunity to try and silence him.

The social workers' professional code of ethics gives guidance about how to handle disputes involving colleagues and cautions us not to use a dispute with a colleague to "advance the social worker's own interests." I feel that this is what "Ann" was trying to do.

The code of ethics also states that we "should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct." I'd like to know what I can do to help defend Mendell as I feel he has been unjustly charged.

Kimberly Solberg

Madison