DEAR ABBY: The letters from "Furious in Adrian, Mich.," the 14-year-old whose ex-boyfriend wrongly claimed to have had sex with her, and "No Big Deal in New Jersey," who suggested telling people, "... he tried, but he was sooo small ..." reminded me of an episode on the sitcom "Welcome Back Kotter."
A pretty girl in class was rumored to be promiscuous. All the guys bragged about sleeping with her at one time or another. Her solution: She announced that she was pregnant and was going to publicly reveal the identity of the father of her baby in class the next day. By morning, not one male would admit to ever having slept with her, with one exception. The character Horshack -- the class nerd -- proclaimed that he was the father and would marry her if she would have him. He probably couldn't even spell S-E-X, let alone get a date with a girl. But he was determined to do "the honorable thing."
If "Furious" would announce that she was pregnant and that she was bringing a paternity suit against her ex-boyfriend and his parents, I think he would stop the lying. -- TAMMY IN FLORIDA
DEAR TAMMY: But what if he didn't? Some misguided young men are under the impression that fathering a child makes them appear manly -- although nothing could be further from the truth. "Furious" has enough problems already without spreading a false rumor that could backfire.