Who says this is the best pshat?* Rabbi Harcsztark was not claiming his pshat was the best pshat, just the most convenient for him.
Hear hear. If you read the letter to parents, I don’t think that he agrees this is the best P’shat, rather that this is what is best for these specific girls (and probably NOT convenient for him to have to deal with the fallout). This is opposed to the RAMAZ pricipal who made a blanket statement that he would have no problem with it.