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Pinging the DukeLax List

As Lacrosse Case Unfolded, Duke 'Cowered,' Group Says
http://www.wral.com/news/9542958/detail.html

DURHAM, N.C. -- Supporters of Duke University are unhappy with how the school is handling an investigation into allegations that three lacrosse members raped a woman at a team party in March.

In an open letter published in Wednesday's The Chronicle, Duke's student newspaper, Friends of Duke University said school leaders "cowered in the face of media pressure" and that the university has "remained hesitant in its support" of the three athletes and the lacrosse team, and in the process, has "sacrificed its own students and values."

The group, made up of alumni, parents and supporters of Duke who said they are deeply concerned about the university's response to the lacrosse case, asked President Richard Brodhead and the Board of Trustees in the letter to consider several recommendations, which include speaking up for Duke students, being fair to the men's lacrosse team and encouraging others to do so as well.

The elite university has received national publicity and criticism for what some call a slow response to the rape allegations, which surfaced in late March, and since three lacrosse athletes, Reade Sleigmann, 20, of Essex Fells, N.J.; Collin Finnerty, 19, of Garden City, N.Y.; and David Evans, 23, of Bethesda, Md.; were indicted on charges of first-degree charges of rape, kidnapping and assault.

"We are in no way apologists for the acknowledged inappropriate conduct of the lacrosse team," the group said in a news release on Wednesday. "We want reform, and we believe that everyone in the Duke community, including the team members themselves, do at this point as well."

In the letter, Friends of Duke said the administration's "passive response" to District Attorney Mike Nifong's behavior concerning the case "will lead future students to think twice before attending Duke."

It acknowledges the university's obligation not to comment on pending legal matters, but the group said it wants to urge the university to use all its influence to ensure the three men accused "receive justice through a fair process."

The group also said the "university's treatment of the (men's lacrosse) team has been reactive rather than proactive," and that "necessary reforms must recognize that many of the team's problems exist within the larger Duke community."

A spokesman for Duke University did not comment Wednesday afternoon, but said that a formal response to the open letter could be released later in the day.

Brodhead and the university have undertaken a number of actions involving both the team and the broader issues raised by the case. In April, Brodhead suspended the men's lacrosse season and accepted the resignation of the team's coach. He also appointed several committees to examine the culture of the lacrosse team and to look at how the university responded to the allegations.

Committee findings have since then recommended that the lacrosse team be reinstated under stricter standards and found that the university's slow response to the allegations were a result of questions about the accuser's story. The committee praised Brodhead's actions once he had better information.

Attorneys for the Seligmann, Finnerty and Evans all maintain their clients' innocence and have said no rape occurred on the night of the alleged crime. Nifong, however, contends some sort of sexual assault did occur and has said the case could go to trial as early as spring.

Gottleib is/was head of President of the Durham Police Officers' Association.

If I remember my unions right, he, of all people, would not be too happy with someone suddenly telling them how to conduct investigations.

I did not put this together. You are right, if anyone in the DPD is sensitive to the issue of someone over stepping their bounds into the turf of the investigator it would be Gottlieb in his roles as an investigator and a union officer.

Remember, this was almost a non-story until Nifong and the Black Activists got a whiff of it.

I remember it was a non-story all you have to do is look at the police actions and inactions after the complaint, but I do not blame the black activists at all. This was stirred up by the Duke leftist faculty, aka the pot bangers. Imagine you are a black activist, once the pot banging leftist of Duke are stirring this up, you have to jump into the fray or look sexist. And it was the pot bangers and their allies at the N&O that brought this case to the attention of Nifong.

My view is that the only reason this case exists is that Duke University hires and tenures people that HATE some of their students based on the race, sex and family income of their students. That is why in my view no self respecting parent would send their child to Duke until it is reformed and some of the Arts and Sciences faculty are removed from the classroom and have their offices taken away or moved to some out of the way part of the campus. [How about 610 Buchanan?]

They are tenured and Duke probably cannot fire them for their bigotry. But Duke is certainly rich enough to continue to pay them without allowing them in the classroom nor allowing them to have an office anywhere around where they can interact with students.