Apologizing and being humble enough to admit when you are wrong is seen as an act of greatness.
How someone who considers themselves a Talmid Chachom can insult and hurl unsubstantiated accusations at someone and not apologize even when it is proven that he made a mistake is beyond me.
It’s even more amazing to see the same person/people demand respect and seem to have a hard time grasping why people have a hard time respecting them personally and taking anything they say seriously.
Saying they were “not aware” or were “followers” doesn’t make them any easier to respect, it also isn’t excuse we would allow for the lowest of non Jews in any sort of leadership position. I would love to respect some of the people and would person in particular (who is particularly well known and fashions himself a major Posek) who signed one of the recent letters about the case in Lakewood… It’s really impossible to though.