Duke Forfeits Lacrosse Games After Rape Accusation

WRAL ^ | March 26, 2006

[NCjim]

DURHAM, N.C. -- The athletics director at Duke University said the men's lacrosse team would forfeit two games as police investigate allegations that team members raped a dancer who was hired to perform at a party.

In a statement released by Duke, athletics director Joe Alleva noted that the players deny the rape allegations and no one has been charged. But he said several players admitted hiring dancers for the party and that underage drinking occurred.

"I am dismayed by the party on March 13," Alleva said in the statement, adding that the behavior is unacceptable.

As a result, the team forfeited its Saturday game against Georgetown and its Tuesday's game with Mount Saint Mary's.

The woman who accused the men said she'd been hired to dance for only five men at a bachelor party. Instead, she said, she and another dancer were surrounded by men when they got there and later got separated.

In a written statement released Saturday, Duke University President Richard Brodhead said he supported Alleva's decision to forfeit the matches, and that those responsible for the alleged crimes would face very serious penalties if the charges against them are verified.

"Physical coercion and sexual assault are unacceptable in any setting and have no place at Duke," Brodhead said. "The criminal allegations against three members of our men’s lacrosse team, if verified, will warrant very serious penalties."

No charges have been filed. About 46 members of the men's lacrosse team submitted DNA samples to authorities this week, but police have not said how long it would be before the results of those tests were known.

[Khuey]

It is my understanding, according to the Abrams Report, Tuesday, March 28 that the dancers were tricked into coming to a small party (perhaps a bachelor party)of no more than five people. Read the transcript, it has good information.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12065671/

[Lovingthis]

Breaking news out of Duke, regarding the time line of the alleged rape. Cops were there, at the scene of the possible crime, minutes before the victim called in her report (from some distance away) investigating a 911 disturbance call, in which a woman claimed that she and her friend were walking by the place and were called nasty names by white guys. The 911 caller's version of the story of this name calling changed several times in the telling, in important ways. The cops on the scene were there for eleven minutes, found no evidence of anything untoward going on. And it's worth noting that the DA is backtracking on the importance of the as-yet unreleased DNA evidence, saying that a lack of DNA evidence doesn't prove that the guys she's accusing didn't rape her; after all, we used to prosecute rape without DNA evidence, didn't we? Which seems a somewhat specious stance, to say the least; a statement from a guy standing on a seriously leaky raft. Anyway. While I'm second to none in my contempt for rapists, this whole thing is beginning to smell like a Tawana Brawley situation. A number of innocent men were destroyed in that little fiasco, if you care to look it up.

[sneakers]

I'm glad you said it, because I was thinking the same thing. The guys who did it should go to jail. Doesn't matter if they were drunk or not. The girl, on the other hand, put herself, willingly, among a group of drunk, young guys while she stripped and gyrated. Just the facts.

[FreedomPoster]

>>IF they did rape the stripper at their party.

That's the key question. All indications are they didn't, given the lack of DNA evidence, among other things.

[Ninian Dryhope]

It looks like you are the idiot for ever believing that tall tale.

[Ninian Dryhope]

It looks like I was right all along. I never did believe the allegations, because they did not pass the smell test.

[Ninian Dryhope]

No, I am just a guy who has been around and knows human nature, not an idiot who immediately accepts every allegation at face value.

[Ninian Dryhope]

If and when boys rape girls, they should be punished by being sent to prison.

If and when girls falsely accuse boys of raping them, the girls should go to prison.

While the facts are being sorted out about whether the boys raped the girl or the girl falsely claimed to be raped, the games should have gone on.

[Ninian Dryhope]

Looks like you were on the right track from day one.

[Ninian Dryhope]

"I played Lacrosse years ago, and I went to college - never during that time did I accidentally rape a woman."

Neither the Duke lacrosse players rape anyone.

[Ninian Dryhope]

Dang, I sure called that one right!

[Ninian Dryhope]

"You have rape victims being blamed for being rapped."

No, you have nit wits who believe every lie that they are spoon fed. In case you didn't know it, an allegation of rape is not the same thing as a rape.

Turns out that I was right on the money and you were as wrong as wrong can be.

[Ninian Dryhope]

"If one drop of DNA from the lax players are found on the accusers, they are toast."

It turns out that that was a very big if,

I never believed the guys raped this stripper. While the case was being investigated, there was no reason to cancel any Lacrosse games.

[Ninian Dryhope]

I am feeling even bigger today and it is even later.

[Ninian Dryhope]

"While I'm second to none in my contempt for rapists, this whole thing is beginning to smell like a Tawana Brawley situation."

Looks like you were right on the money.

[Neverforget01]

This is spooky. Your post made me go back through some of the Duke threads at the beginning of the hoax. FR was all over this from the beginning. I had just joined FR and then this case broke and I've followed the threads ever since.

Too bad for Nifong--if he had followed FR, he could have saved himself and many others so much heartache.

Thanks for reminding me of the beginning.

[Mr. Lucky]

Slow day at the office?

[Neverforget01]

Blasts from the past:

Rape Allegation Against Athletes Is Roiling Duke;

Father Learned Daughter connected to Duke case from media reports