Duke lax and accusations

[jimotis4heisman]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12069873/

Duke lacrosse suspended amid rape charges

Team idled for rest of season after black dancer claims she was gang-raped


By Ed Wiley III
Updated: 5:20 p.m. ET March 29, 2006

March 29 — - Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead said Wednesday that he has suspended the rest of the season for the men’s nationally ranked lacrosse team following charges from a Black exotic dancer that several White members of the squad gang-raped her while calling her racial slurs.
The alleged victim, a student at nearby historically Black North Carolina Central University, told police that she had been hired to perform at a private party on March 13. She said that showed up at a wood-frame house on a quiet tree-lined street when she was pulled into a bathroom by three members of the team, who choked her and raped her, The Baltimore Sun reported.
All but one – an African American – of the 47 members of the team were asked to submit to DNA tests. The alleged victim, whose name is being withheld because she is charging that she was sexually assaulted – said that the assailants were all White.

"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," Brodhead said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
The team’s three captains, who have refused to comment on the matter, met with Brodhead Tuesday and issued a statement on behalf of the team shortly afterward stating “unequivocally that any allegation that a sexual assault or rape occurred is totally and transparently false."
They also agreed it would be "in the best interest of the university, the community and our families" to forego any more intercollegiate games until DNA results exonerated team members, according to Brodhead.
No charges have been filed.
Protestors converge on campus
In the days since the alleged attack, protestors have converged on the campus, one of America’s elite institutions, known both for its academics and its sports. Some have banged on pots and pans demanding justice for the woman, blasted a university culture they say treats precious athletes as if they are above the law, and called for mandatory coursework that emphasizes sensitivity to issues affecting women and people of color.
"White male privilege is an issue here," Teshonne Powell, a sophomore from Atlanta who attended a recent demonstration, told the Sun. "The fact that the lacrosse players are being protected is a serious problem. It says Duke cares more about its image than the safety of human beings."
Powell said Duke only forfeited the games "out of fear that protesters would disrupt them. If the Duke administration really cared about the investigation the rest of the season would be forfeited so the whole team could sit down and reflect on the actions of their team members.”

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...tm?POE=SPOISVA

Duke suspends lacrosse team from play amid rape allegationsBy Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY
The Duke men's lacrosse season is on hold indefinitely as an investigation into sexual-assault allegations involving team members continues.
President Richard Brodhead and athletics director Joe Alleva held a news conference Tuesday night and announced in a release that play is suspended "until there is a clearer resolution of the legal case involving team members."
No charges have been filed, and the players have told school administrators the woman was not assaulted. Tuesday's action was taken at the request of the team's captains, the release from Brodhead and Alleva said.
A dancer hired to perform at a March 13 party at an off-campus house, where three of the four team captains lived and other team members were present, says three players raped her. The News and Observer of Raleigh reported she said she and another dancer arrived at the house expecting a small group and were surrounded by about 40 players, some shouting racial slurs. The women were going to leave until some of the players apologized. The dancers went inside and the assault then occurred in a bathroom, she said.
Durham, N.C., police said team members have refused to cooperate with the investigation. Last week a judge ordered DNA samples from 46 of the 47 players on the roster. The 47th, the only black player, did not have to provide DNA because the dancer, who also is black, said the attackers were white.
"I feel pretty confident that a rape occurred," District Attorney Mike Nifong told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The incident has sparked campus protests over the university's slowness to respond and against the team members, including outside the house.
The team, which lost in last year's national title game to Johns Hopkins, will continue to practice. It has already canceled two games for improper conduct at the party that included serving alcohol to underage students
The school also released a statement from the captains expressing regret over "the lapse in judgment in having the party."
The players added DNA results would demonstrate the allegations are "absolutely false." The roster has been pulled from the Duke website. An Oct. 25 release announced the team selected seniors David Evans, Dan Flannery, Bret Thompson and Matt Zash as captains

of note:
-duke was supposed to play the buckeyes this weekend in columbus
-47 members of the team were dna tested. 48 on the team. only the one AA was not tested as accordance by the judge.
-duke was 6-2
-duke is #5 in the computers and #9 in the polls

[dav713]

Originally Posted by jimotis4heisman

of note:
-duke was supposed to play the buckeyes this weekend in columbus

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. The dancer is black.

From http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2387151

Obvioulsy if true it is horrible both what happened and how the Duke administrion handled the situation.

[Golferdow01]

Of course they would never do this if a similar charge was placed on their basketball team...

[buck e]

Originally Posted by dav713

From http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2387151

Obvioulsy if true it is horrible both what happened and how the Duke administrion handled the situation.

I'm curious what you think is so bad with the way the Duke administration handled it?

[dav713]

Originally Posted by buck e

I'm curious what you think is so bad with the way the Duke administration handled it?

There have been rumblings that they have been very slow to get things moving and taking actions. While that is just speculation, if true then they handled it badly. Maybe they didnt do anything wrong. Looking more, they forfited 2 of their games after the party and now suspend games until this comes to a resolution. Not to mention no one has officially been charged yet.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I heard on 1460 this morning that the attorney for the players has cancelled a scheduled meeting with investigators......

[wadc45]

I have an email that was sent from a Duke alumni to Coach Pressler in response to this latest incident. It is priceless. Anyone interested in seeing it, PM me.