Duke Suspends Lacrosse Team from Play

abc11TV.com ^ | March 29, 2006 | Eyewitness News and The Associated Press

[Howlin]

(03/28/06 -- DURHAM) - Duke University's highly ranked men's lacrosse team won't play again this season until school administrators learn more about allegations that several team members raped an exotic dancer at an off-campus party, the school said Tuesday.

University president Richard Brodhead had decided to suspend the team from play "until there is a clearer resolution of the legal situation involving team members."

The suspension raises the possibility the Blue Devils will miss the rest of their games. Duke has four games left on its regular-season schedule, followed by next month's Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Baltimore and a likely bid to the NCAA tournament. Last year, Duke lost to Johns Hopkins in the school's first appearance in the national title game.

No one has been charged in the case, which has roiled the campus, raised racial tensions and heightened antagonism between the affluent students at Duke, which costs about $43,000 a year, and the city of Durham, which has a large population of poor people and is about evenly divided between white and black. Armed with a judge's order, police took DNA samples with a cheek swab from 46 of the lacrosse team's 47 players last week. The 47th player, the only black member of the team, did not have to provide DNA because the dancer said her attackers were white.

"I needed to have the information about who will be charged," said District Attorney Mike Nifong said Tuesday. "I feel pretty confident that a rape occurred."

Brodhead said the team's captains notified Duke athletic director Joe Alleva on Tuesday the team wanted to stay off the field until results of DNA testing came back from the state crime lab. Brodhead said it was his decision to expand the suspension.

"In this painful period of uncertainty, it is clear to me, as it was to the players, that it would be inappropriate to resume the normal schedule of play," Brodhead said. "Sports have their time and place, but when an issue of this gravity is in question, it is not the time to be playing games."

Police release 911 tapes

The alleged victim and another woman were hired to dance for members of the team at a March 13 party at a house on Buchanan Boulevard. The alleged victim says three of the players raped her.

An hour before the rape was reported, 911 operators received calls from another woman who was walking by the party.

"It's right in front of 610 Buchanan [Blvd.] , and I saw them all come out like a big frat house, and me and black girlfriend are walking by, and they called us n-----s," the caller said.

An hour later, a 27-year-old dancer reports being strangled, kicked, beaten and raped by three members of Duke's lacrosse team. Traumatized and full of fear, she retreated to a nearby grocery store and refused to get out of the car until an officer arrived.

"The problem is, it's a lady in somebody else's car and she will not get out of the car," the 911 caller said. "The owner of the car is right here and she says she can explain what happened."

Documents reveal new details

New affidavits show that some of the evidence seized at the home of the players and forensic evidence taken from the victim are consistent with rape. Investigators say they found four broken fingernails the dancer says were broken as she to fight off three attackers. They also recovered her makeup bag, cellphone, and identification.

The documents say some players threatened to assault the victims sexually with a broom as they performed. Court documents also say team members tried to create an "atmosphere of confusion" by giving fake names to hire the strippers.

Investigators say they are encountering a stonewall of silence against a mounting pile of evidence.

"Based on what I know about the crime, is that it is highly unlikely that the people at that crime scene who where not directly involved in the crime did not know that something untoward was going on," said Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong.

Two weeks into the investigation, Nifong says he has received little cooperation from Duke lacrosse team members.

Durham CrimeStoppers is making a new plea for help in the investigation. Officials sent out an e-mail Tuesday afternoon, saying in part:

"Although we have received many calls expressing concerns and anger about this incident, we have not received any calls which would allow us to assist in resolving this case&We are extending our plea for information and help to our Duke family, who are also part of our community."

The police department's plea is the latest in a PR battle between investigators and Duke University officials. It comes one day after Duke President Richard Brodhead said the team had been cooperative.

"My information is that they have been cooperating all along with the investigation," he told Eyewitness News.

DNA samples from the lacrosse players did not come voluntarily. District Attorney Nifong said Tuesday that Duke is not hampering the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Durham chapter of the NAACP is asking for a private meeting with Duke officials.

[Howlin]

Statement Issued by Lacrosse Team Captains

(03/28/06 -- DURHAM) - The captains of Duke University's Men's Lacrosse Team issued this statement Tuesday:

"The captains of the team met this morning with President Brodhead, and expressed sincere regret over the lapse in judgment in having the party on March 13 which has caused so much anguish for the Duke community and shame to our families and ourselves.

"We also stated unequivocally that any allegation that a sexual assault or rape occurred is totally and transparently false.

"The team has cooperated with the police in their investigation. We have provided authorities with DNA samples. The understanding is that the results of the DNA testing will be available sometime next week. The DNA results will demonstrate that these allegations are absolutely false.

"Because of the intense emotions surrounding these allegations, we feel it is in the best interest of the University, the community and our families that the team should not play

[Howlin]

Ping.

[Aaron0617]

another discussion also at ~ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1603340/posts

[quantim]

No doubt Kobe's lawyers have already gotten the call.

[Howlin]

Something smells about this story.

[Petronski]

Like Kobe's woes, I start out not knowing who to believe. Multiple DNA matches confirmed by the accuser in random lineups would convince me for certain.

Right now, I smell a coverup, and that makes me suspicious. Yet, I also find myself very uneasy about what little we know so far. The team is exhibiting guilty behavior, yet innocent suspects have been known to do that. I await further verifiable details.

[SR 50]

Team win strategy "NUMBER 1".

Send hookers to opponent's hotel rooms.

[Tax-chick]

Multiple DNA matches confirmed by the accuser in random lineups would convince me for certain.

Me, too.

[Rennes Templar]

I would think the teams silence is due to legal counsel, as this involves a felony, and does not imply guilty behavior.

[BallyBill]

Even positive DNA test doesn't prove rape though. What if she said yes to one guy and then his friends decided to join in? Agreeing not to play makes me think that at least some are guilty of a crime.

[gobucks]

Those players are so honorable, cooperating like that.

Perhaps this will precepitate a change in the culture at Duke, for the better.

But, in fairness, not a chance.

All one has to do is check the Duke Honor Code:

That line regarding 'conscience' ... what a winner.

Also, check out what the honor Council is linking to (and, where there is smoke...):

Helpful (Yankee) Links for Increasing Honor at Duke

And, funny, not all the links work..... it is a real shame.

[American Vet Repairman]

"Perhaps this will precipitate a change in the culture at Duke, for the better.But, in fairness, not a chance.
All one has to do is check the Duke Honor Code:"


Great statement. I have had to work with Duke graduates for 11 years in the civilian world and they are some of the worst people I ever met. At first I thought I was going to meet the best and the brightest, but over time I found them to be unprofessional, rude and self serving. My wife and I are developing real estate and I told her we do not do business with people who graduate from Duke if we know their background. I will never hire one.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Funny, Duke wanted me to go to them for college.

Fortunately, I preferred staying closer to home and picked UAB. Free ride for me. :)

As for the story...not enough info yet.

[ConservativeTerrapin]

Ping!

[VanDeKoik]

Oh yeah. A bunch of drunk college guys rape a women, it has to be fake, right?

I bet you shes just trying to get herself in the news. Their is no way these good decent guys would EVER do such a thing. Noooooooooooooooooooo.

[billbears]

I hesitate to defend the University of New Jersey at Durham or any of their sports teams and there is no defense of this crime. But what happens if the DNA from the team comes back negative? What if the three guys involved were guests at the party? Has anyone considered that or are they focused on the team alone?

Off the topic of the crime here. 47 member team? IIRC, that's more players than are on a professional football team. We're talking about a 'sport', reminiscent of soccer, where the player runs up and down the field with a stick. How many people go watch this?

[MinorityRepublican]

Police took DNA samples with a cheek swab from 46 of the 47 players last week.

[MinorityRepublican]

Angry over the university's handling of the case, Durham residents have demonstrated on and off campus in the past few days.

[joebuck]

"the Durham chapter of the NAACP is asking for a private meeting with Duke officials."

What's the race angle here? Was the stripper who is claiming rape a black woman?

[ConservativeTerrapin]

This has been a bad month for the cesspool at Durham so far...