Whether the false claim of mold in the racquet center building arose out of a misunderstanding, an innocent conversation that went deeper than it should have or a clumsy attempt to force the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors to erect a new facility, the board’s racquet sports advisory committee is in a heap of trouble.

The board has not indicated how it will respond to one or more committee members’ involvement in causing a $10,000 search for mold that didn’t exist, but the committee’s credibility — and its usefulness to the board — is ruined.

Committee members gambled that the claim of mold behind the building’s walls would cause the board to replace the current structure with a larger, better equipped facility. Instead, the committee has put its own existence in jeopardy.

Regardless of the extent of individual members’ involvement in the mold complaint ruse or conversations with county officials about the building process as it pertains to new quarters for racquet sports, the committee’s advice and recommendations will be met with skepticism from now on.

This leaves the directors with two options: see that the committee’s membership is replaced completely or abolish the committee altogether.

The latter possibility is not only the easiest and cleanest solution, but also the most likely considering the mood of the directors and the administration after this attempt to trick them into giving racquet sports fans what they want.

What committee members probably want now is forgiveness for this embarrassing episode, but that’s going to be difficult  to deliver because of the way this failed con played out in public. This is not to mention the $10,000 the association spent for what turned out to be no reason.

These directors have gone about their business quietly and efficiently and didn’t deserve to have a manufactured controversy thrust upon them. Their apparent low tolerance for foolishness should extend now to the racquet sports committee, which at least should be suspended, if not done away with altogether until the time is right to create a new one.