I don't think its an issue of putting teachers on pedestals. Its a practical matter of openess and transparency and following rules we have set ourselves. As soon as we add to just being ordinary humans- we get a Dharma name, some robes, teach a bit etc. - we have chosen to represent a tradition and that tradition has explicit and implicit rules, it presents an image to the public of what its there for etc etc. We take on responsibilities. Take me, I'm a nobody. I have no Dharma name, no robes. I can say anything without causing the Buddhist world and students any problems really. As soon as you 'move up' you become a representative and have to be sure you are in a position to be that. I recall Nhat Hahn tells of when he was doing a peace talk over the 'Nam war. He was asked a hurtful question and responded admirably, then quickly left the stage. He went outside shaking and was desperately trying to regulate his breathing. It turns out the question had made him so angry that he had to control his breathing to such an extent he was having some problems after. He wasn't perfect (whatever that is) but he took full responsibility for not causing suffering to others and to take it on board himself and deal with it. Everyone goes on about 'no goal' in sitting and living, and its a good teaching in its way, unless we hold on to it and use it to justify philosophical positions. The only point of Buddhism is to end suffering for every being and reach a good functioning level of that in our lives here and now. If we don't then we might be better off doing other things than wasting time on what may well be, in our self-deception, just another ego-trip. Because we all suffer from self-deception (its scary how bad it can be) its so easy to come up with reasons, justifications and excuses. In fact our conscious minds' job is partly to write those stories- we very often have no idea why we do what we do because its unconscious. In one sense morality can bring offer a way in to that stuff perhaps. If we set ourselves a goal of not speaking harshly then we have direct evidence of whether we are achieving it every single day. If we have courage to investigate when we fail we might gradually uncover and transform what kept us from speaking gently. At the same time when someone says that its too hard to do that we can recognise the truth of this and their decision without throwing them out of our hearts. Obviously we do this for those at the top that fail too, even if they continue to maintain their status and justify themselves, because our compassion includes them and reduces world suffering that way too.
Have a good day
Rich