Statement from Duke President Richard H. Brodhead, RE: Dropped Lacrosse Case

Duke University ^ | 4/11/07 | Richard H. Brodhead

[Reaganesque]

Durham, NC -- I join with everyone who cares about justice in welcoming the North Carolina State Attorney General’s announcement that the remaining charges have been dropped against David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann. This announcement comes at the end of an extraordinarily painful year for the young men and their families. They have carried themselves with dignity through an ordeal of deep unfairness.

Let’s be clear about what was said today. The Attorney General did not dismiss the allegations on narrow, equivocal or legalistic ground. He determined our students to be innocent of the charges and said they were “the tragic result of a rush to accuse.” In short, he used the strongest language of vindication.

From the outset, I have been careful to note that these students were entitled to the presumption of innocence and I looked to the legal system to determine the merit of the charges. Now, finally, that process has given us a decision based on a thorough and objective review of the evidence. This is what we have all needed from the start. I trust the State Bar’s review will be equally thorough so that we can understand the District Attorney’s conduct in this case. As for Duke, while not reliving the past year, we won’t be afraid to go back and learn what we can from this difficult experience.

During the past year, the world has known these young men, their teammates and a great university largely through the filter of unproven allegations. I trust that today’s decision will begin a new day for all involved.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

At that time faculty were more upset about the team’s HIRING those “exotic dancers” in the first place. I know I’d be asking my son, “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS THINKING!?”

THIS

[azhenfud]

Yeah, I hope they buy the place just so they can have the fun of firing Broadhead along with that Gang of 88.

[The Great RJ]

This is utter hypocrisy. Broadhead dismissed two of the accused students without conviction of any crime and with 88 of his faculty convicted the three students in a kangaroo court of popular opinion. He should resign or be fired for his actions. I hope the the accused students sue Duke for millions for character defamation and wrongful termination from the University. The 88 professors should be mandated to make a public apology for their false accusations or be fired if they don’t.

[azhenfud]

I know I’d be asking my son, “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS THINKING!?”

Having since seen what the guys hired, I hope they got a fist full of change back.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

So the 88 faculty members will now be charged with racist hate crimes, and be suspended without pay for a year while they fight to be re-instated in the courts?

[trimom]

Just an observation: I see only two prof’s from what I think of as the hard sciences on the list of 88, one in math and one in physics. Could it be that they were, oh, I don’t know, waiting for FACTS instead of dealing in emotion?

[Scarchin]

Resign NOW and fire any faculty member who signed the statement and doesn't apologize.

Compare this to Imus situation!

[Betty Jane]

Maybe Duke can be sued for creating an hostile environment for these boys.

[Scarchin]

In light of the Imus mess, they must sue. These lefty POSs need a shot across the bow.

[Scarchin]

I notice few if any hard science or math profs on the list.

[McGavin999]

So, where’s the apology to the young men and to the coach that was fired? Where is the demand that the 88 who are employed by the university apologize quickly and PUBLICALLY (preferably while on their knees in front of the 3 with tV cameras rolling)

[zaxxon]

How about this gem via Newsday:

"Since we haven't gone through a normal legal process, we don't know what really happened," said Duke biology professor Sheryl Broverman. "The fact the charges were dropped doesn't mean nothing happened. It just means information wasn't collected appropriately enough to go forward."

Laughable.

[toldyou]

“In light of the Imus mess, they must sue. These lefty POSs need a shot across the bow.”

I agree.

[popdonnelly]

“she SO MUCH wanted to believe the accuser’s story.”

Maybe she should realize she’s prejudiced. White people need to learn how to defend themselves and their children from unfounded charges.

[popdonnelly]

“I noticed Nancy Grace was missing from her show last night too. How con-veeeeeenient.”

She’s a coward. It’s okay for her to ruin the lives of these students, but she can’t face the fact that she was wrong.

[Verginius Rufus]

Brodhead should resign and become president of a factory making chocolate eclairs.

One of the Duke professors who was very outspoken last year in attacking the lacrosse team was lured away by Vanderbilt University last fall--I think Vandy is very proud of having landed such an outstanding addition to their faculty.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

“I know I’d be asking my son, “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS THINKING!?”

Having since seen what the guys hired, I hope they got a fist full of change back.”

A dollar just doesn’t buy what it used to. It’s hard buying just the right gift on a budget. It requires some really savy shopping.

[NorthFlaRebel]

So he fired the coach and kicked two of the boys out of the university because they should be presumed innocent.

No, the fact that they had been charged with felonies precluded them from continuing at Duke until the matter had been legally cleared up. That's policy at every school and most every company in America. Duke's actions violated no law, no school policy and no protected due process rights.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

The Court TV comment about none of them really needing the $1M they spent on the defense, and the families should just move on. I assume that comment was in the same vein as Jessie Jackson’s comment about hoping there will be minimal residual damage.

SU-WEE-T! Just precious, freaking precious. Just when I think no one else could bottom out any lower. I think I’m going to heave. What a stinking crock of pusillanimous excrement. Tell that to the remaining four kids the Finnertys have to put through school and the two more the Seligmans (who are already in debt up to their eyeballs to just make bail) have. That’s just so...so repulsively disingenuous. I guess they should just put the younger ones out on a street corner with a tin cup and a "Will Work for Tuition" sign. I hope she’s fired.

[azhenfud]

No justice, no peace.

We request an unconditional surrender of the following known combatants to justice tendered to Duke University in a timely and orderly process.

Stan Abe
Benjamin Albers
Anne Allison
Srinivas Aravamudan
Lee Baker
Sarah Beckwith
Paul Berliner
Tolly Boatwright
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
Jack Bookman
Matt Brim
Bill Chafe
Leo Ching
Elizabeth Clark
Rom Coles
Michaeline A. Crichlow
Kim Curtis
Roberto Dainotto
Leslie Damasceno
Ariel Dorfman
Laura Edwards
Grant Farred
Jeffrey Forbes
Mary M. Fulkerson
Erin Gayton
Jehanne Gheith
Margaret Greer
Michael Hardt
Erik Harms
Joe Harris
Kerry Haynie
Karla Holloway
Bayo Holsey
Mary Hovsepian
Sherman James
Alice Kaplan
Keval Khalsa
Ranjana Khanna
Fred Klaits
Claudia Koonz
Robert Korstad
Pedro Lasch
Caroline Light
Marcy Litle
Ralph Litzinger
Michele Longino
Wahneema Lubiano
Anne-Maria Makhulu
Tamera Marko
Paula McClain
Louise Meintjes
Sean Metzger
Walter Mignolo
Alberto Moreiras
Cary Moskovitz
Mark Anthony Neal
David Need
Diane Nelson
Jocelyn Olcott
Charles Payne
Charlie Piot
Ronen Plesser
Maureen Quilligan
Jan Radway
Tom Rankin
Marcia Rego
William Reichert
Deb Reisinger
Alex Rosenberg
Marc Schachter
Stephanie Sieburth
Laurie Shannon
Pete Sigal
Irene Silverblatt
Joshua Socolar
Kristin Solli
Helen Solterer
Fiona Somerset
Roxanne Springer
Rebecca Stein
Kenneth Surin
Susan Thorne
John Transue
Maurice Wallace
Priscilla Wald
Kathryn Whetten
Robyn Wiegman
David Wong
Tomiko Yoda

Last and not least,
Richard H. Brodhead