Totally unrelated to anything- when I was about 16, my high school came down on me because a few kids decided they were gonna spread some bogus claims about “taking a head count” and “threatening motions” in class. I was a documented autistic kid, the school knew this, but by the time my parents and I heard, the school- and an overzealous administrator at the school- decided to go scorched earth, had the police called, a hearing for my “guilt”, whole nine yards.
I showed up the next day to the hearing with a lawyer, and within about fifteen minutes, the kids’ lies- and the administrator’s own absolute failure to establish guilt or even take a moment to do any sort of fact finding- were on full display. I went from being on the verge of being tried as an adult for something I hadn’t done because of a few bullies spreading lies, to being in a position to sue the school for every red cent for going ahead with blatant- and easily-disproven- lies, then doubling down.
My greatest regret was not going ahead with the lawsuit. I was a kid, scared, I wanted it to be over.
No reason I bring this up, of course, but… y'know, if anyone was in a similar position of an authority going off the rails on a power trip with no establishing guilt- well… I’d tell you not to make my mistake, and take them to court.
Anyone so foolish as to do that to you will have earned it. Food for thought.