Greg Mortenson arrived on the scene when we desperately needed a hero. Watergate had ended politicians from ever being seen as heroes again. Doping and all forms of inexcusable behavior had knocked sports figures from their exalted pedestals. Sex scandals and charges of pedophilia against the very men parishioners turn to for support had rocked the foundation of religious institutions. Mother Theresa was dead. The world was ready for a living humanitarian hero and Greg Mortenson fit the bill.

A man with Minnesota roots (born in St. Cloud, attended high school in Roseville and Concordia College in Moorhead) Mortenson had a compelling story to tell. Motivated by the death of his sister, he gets lost in Pakistan failing in his attempt to climb K2 and, after being nursed back to health by villagers, commits to returning to that village to build a school. More harrowing adventures, including being kidnapped by the Taliban, and two books later, Mortenson builds 171 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and educates 64,000 children – 54,000 of whom are girls. That's a story certain to top the New York Times nonfiction bestseller lists. Only now it seems it might be more appropriate on the fiction list. The CBS newsmagazine, "60 Minutes," aired a damaging report on Greg Mortenson, questioning his veracity on the events depicted in his books. The report disputes the number of schools that have been built and, of those that were constructed, the number that are functioning. It also revealed that it is Mortenson, and not his nonprofit, the Central Asia Institute, who benefits from the sales of millions of copies of his books and his lucrative speaking engagements. It's his nonprofit, however, which pays the expenses related to his books and travel. Author and former supporter of Greg Mortenson, Jon Krakauer, roundly criticized Mortenson on "60 Minutes" and goes even further in his allegations in an online story Krakauer has written titled, Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way. In his article, Krakauer says: "Mortenson has lied about the noble deeds he has done, the risks he has taken, the people he has met, the number of schools he has built." He goes on to state: "Moreover, Mortenson's charity, the Central Asia Institute, has issued fraudulent financial statements, and he has misused millions of dollars donated by schoolchildren and other trusting devotees." Mortenson, for his part, declined an opportunity to be interviewed on "60 Minutes" and did not meet with Krakauer to discuss the allegations. He has issued a statement denying the accusations and is currently unavailable to the media because of a health condition. Mortenson is due an opportunity to tell his side of the story just as his thousands of supporters are due an explanation of what appears to be substantial claims. If the allegations turn out to be true, the actual good that Greg Mortenson has done will be nothing compared to the amount of damage he has done to humanitarian causes. Donors will think long and hard before supporting international efforts for fear of being duped. Schools will be unlikely to sponsor efforts, such as Mortenson's Pennies for Peace, if it turns out that some of those pennies went to support Mortenson himself. American children will have learned a cynical lesson early in life. And children in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, children that Mortenson once had the best intentions to help, will pay the greatest price. There is good, transparent humanitarian work occurring in every corner of this planet. It's work that may not make headlines or bestseller lists, but it's work that deserves to be supported; more than ever, if Greg Mortenson turns out to have feet of clay.