Though I will reserve judgment regarding the allegations of whether Mr. Brozman is indeed guilty of the sexual abuse of children, I will say that when such allegations are made I personally re-live much of the trauma of my own past. Yes, I survived being repeatedly raped as a young boy some forty years ago. The man who did this was a respected leader in the community. Though I told my parents, they chose to "save me the embarrassment" and trauma. Given the lack of sympathy I have seen on this forum, perhaps this was a good choice, but ultimately I wish that they had made a different choice because recovery is hard when there is no justice. I hope that if there are victims here that they receive support and their stories are heard, and the adults in their lives don't belittle their stories or cover them up just because the person who abused them was respected figure with extraordinary gifts with music. This would have made all the difference for me personally and would have saved me from the pain that I still feel and may have prevented me from being the victim of domestic violence later in life. Childhood rape and later being a victim of domestic violence are linked.

On another note, even if these allegations are completely false, I am saddened that a person who claimed to be an educator would take his own life because of a disability. This could have been a teachable moment. I think of individuals with physical and mental disabilities, including my son and myself, and wonder about the message that this leaves us. I was born with high functioning autism, severe heart problems, and a terrible speech impediment, but never felt a need to give up because of it. Suicide was never an option even in the darkest of moments. Rather, I worked hard and survived and became a successful attorney.

I think of people who have lost limbs in wars, in some of the same Third World countries that Mr. Brozman championed, and because of recent terrorist acts. Many of them have chosen to fight and not kill themselves. Some have creatively found ways to accommodate their disabilities and even learn to play the guitar with only one arm. If Mr. Brozman couldn't play the guitar anymore, he could have inspired people in other ways as a teacher.

I am amazed at some of the victims of the recent Boston marathon bombings who have vowed to run in the marathon next year even though they lost a leg or even two.

Even if he is totally innocent of these allegations, he will remain a coward to those of us who have disabilities and have chosen to live with them and have tried to inspire others by over-coming difficulties and surviving.