Posted on 03/31/2006 8:03:52 PM PST by Howlin
DURHAM, N.C. - The father of the woman who has accused members of the Duke lacrosse team of sexually assaulting her said he didn't find out that his daughter was the reported victim - and that she is an exotic dancer - until a reporter visited his house.
The retired trucker who lives in Durham said he saw his daughter the day after the reported attack, but she didn't say anything was wrong. She even left her car at the house for several days because he said she didn't want to drive it.
Her father, a quiet man who tinkers on cars as a hobby, said he saw news reports about the attack.
"I didn't know it was my daughter," he said. The Charlotte Observer generally does not name victims of sexual assault, so his name is being withheld to protect the identity of his daughter.
The case has ignited campus protests and stirred racial tension in Durham. The woman at the center of the case is black, and the men she accuses are white. She also is a student at N.C. Central University, a historically black college near Durham's inner-city, compared with the more expensive Duke campus.
DNA tests have been conducted on 46 of the lacrosse players, who deny the allegations. A 47th member, who is black, was not tested because the woman said her attackers were white.
Last week, a reporter stopped by the reported victim's house looking for her, the woman's father said, but he said he didn't know what was going on. He called his daughter and she said the district attorney told her not talk to anyone.
"(She) didn't tell us anything about it," he said.
He said he also found out through the media that his daughter, who is the youngest of three, was an exotic dancer.
"She always told me she was going to work," he said.
On Friday, he installed a timing belt in a car and watched his daughter's two children play outside the house. He said working on cars and playing with the grandchildren helps take his mind off what's happening with his daughter.
He said she seems to be doing "pretty good," and so is the rest of the family. He said they haven't talked much about the reported incident, but it weighs heavily on his mind. He said he's grateful that N.C. Central has been so supportive, but he doesn't like how his daughter has been portrayed in the media. And he's especially frustrated that no one has been charged in the connection with the allegations.
"If it had been anybody but them, they would have been locked up, but yet they didn't because it's Duke," he said. "I hope them boys - if they did it - I hope they get what they deserve. I hope they don't go lenient on them."
District Attorney Michael Nifong said he's waiting for results of the DNA test and that he does not expect to file charges in the case any earlier than next week.
Exactly. Social life at Duke traditionally revolved around the fraternities and sororities, whose members lived on campus and had parties in their fraternity houses and dorms where, as will be the case with college students, alcohol was consumed.
What appears to have happened is that the prior Duke administration, in which the woman who was president was a liberal academic from New England, saw the school as too much of a party school and, believe it or not, too Southern, and, with a rather utopian goal in mind of eliminating the "culture of alcohol" and reducing the influence of the greek system on Duke social life, essentially persecuted all partying activities and drove them off campus, where the Durham community and the local police have ended up dealing with it. It has been a prohibitionist mindset, with predictable results.
"too Southern"
Thats pretty funny that she thought that! Most of the students are not in the least bit Southern.
Duke Class of 2009 Profile
Minority Representation
Asian, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander 21.5%
African-American / Black 9.0%
Hispanic / Latino 6.5%
Native American, American Indian, Native Alaskan, or Native Hawaiian 0.1%
Total Minority Representation 37.1%
Geographic Distribution of First-Year Students
North Carolina 13%
Northeast (CT, NH, VT, NY, ME, RI, MA) 15%
Mid-Atlantic (PA, NJ, MD, DE, VA, WV, DC) 19%
Southeast (KY, TN, AL, MS, GA, FL, AR, LA, OK, SC, TX) 25%
Midwest (OH, MI, IL, IN, WI, MN, IA, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS) 12%
West and Pacific (WA, ID, MT, OR, WY, CA, NV, UT, CO, AZ, NM, AK, HI ) 10%
International (45 different countries) 6%
http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who_2009profile.asp
I didn't catch the show, but what was their spin on the DA not filing charges unto at least the 10th?
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2004/12.09/01-nan.html
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/04/q4/1014-keohane.htm
To be fair, with the alcohol specifically, that's a nationwide trend. I think you are largely correct about the rest of her attitude towards Duke as she found it. Her successor, Brodhead, is from Yale where he was Dean of Yale college.
North Carolinian and former Governor, Terry Sanford was President all nine years I was there. One of his very last duties was to hand me my final diploma. His previously announced retirement was the next day. He was considered pretty liberal for the North Carolina of the time. On the other hand, he was an FBI agent and in the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team including service in the Battle of the Bulge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Sanford
The man had some life experience on him which is more than I can say for the last two Duke Presidents who have been strictly academics.
Another historical footnote: After some of the "B.S." chants regarding bad officiating at one of the basketball games got broadcast on national TV, "Uncle Terrry", as he was fondly known by the students, wrote an open letter in the student newspaper the text of which was basically "Would ya'll behave please". Such was the students' respect for him, in successive games, after a bad calls by the officials, the students chanted in unison "we beg to differ". One little letter - no muss, no fuss, problem solved.
At times like this I miss his leadership. Uncle Terry would have known how to have kept this problem from getting so out of hand. As far as his understanding of Durham and local politics, Brodhead might as well be from the moon. Same with Keohane for that matter. You can't learn about race relations in the south by reading a textbook in New England.
Initially I supported the woman until I heard that 911 call. What normal person calls 911 for being called a name? And reporting a house number than cannot be seen? A book deal in the works? In any case, guys who get involved with strippers/"escorts" can expect trouble. Just wondering why the police turned down a request by the accused for a polygraph?
I don't know about you folks..but I have a son who plays lacrosse and is a junior in high school. Not a chance we'd look at Duke anymore (even if he wasn't a lacrosse player). Who on earth would want to go to a college where the town hated the students? No thanks.
I think that the players were already in the house with a one year lease. The U bought it in last fall and let the lease continue to its conclusion.
Duke's restrictive policies to curb campus drinking have
driven the drinkers to off-campus party houses. The university bought 15 such houses with the intention of refurbishing and selling them to families who will stabilize the poor, working class community. But then the alleged attack occurred, and long-simmering neighborhood resentment is now being openly voiced.
I saw Kimberly Guilfoyle and thought that she is one of the poorest excuses of a journalist that I have ever seen on Fox. Just made me want to thrown something at her. She had these young men convicted and she and Dr. Baden (who I have already respected until this interview) made certain that they molly-coddled this poor victim's choice of career. I have no idea what happened, although I've learned a lot here today by reading through the info that people have posted. This is a very bad situation that is being horribly exploited by the media for their own end. Disgraceful.
This report mentions the 4 broken fingernails. The women went back to the house, supposedly to get shoes. Could they not have planted the nails at this time?
A half decent attorney is going to punch holes in this woman's story, without even trying.
She's allowing her anger to spill over into her so-called journalism. She needs to get her private life in order before she accuses others before a trial, or even an indictment. She's terrible.
I am not kidding, I lost count of the out and out lies she said -- not to mention just small details she got wrong -- (five fingernails? she said she read it on the search warrant).
She said the woman was bruised and she must have said "viciously" fifty times.
It just was dreadful; if that is what Fox is passing off for "fair and balanced" I'm not interested anymore.
Nancy Grace couldn't touch her with a ten foot pole.
Well, they've got at least four powerhouses involved in this case.
Kerry Sutton (of Michael Peterson fame) said that if that DNA absolved her client, she better have the report on her desk immediately and that she was, for sure, going to release it immediately to the press, regardless of what the DA said. She is NOT going to let this guy play politics with them.
And if he tries to hold back the report, we'll surely hear about it. These attorneys are furious.
Could you even believe how nasty she was?
She was on Saturday AND Sunday night, live, flogging this story.
Sorry, I changed subjects mid-stream. I don't know what's going on in NC, and I know it's your local news. After reading posts here, I suspect something did happen. Men drinking all afternoon and evening and strippers do not sound like a good combination to me. But I don't want anyone making unwarranted conclusions until the facts are in and the investigation is over. The MSM seems determined to ruin these young men, no matter whether they are guilty or innocent.
Dr. Baden was disgraceful too. He fell for the PC arguments without knowing the facts. Fox needs to make some changes.
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