More than three dozen current and former lacrosse players at Duke have sued the University for its actions during the infamous rape case. They have grounds for the lawsuit after the University discarded every principle of legal process and fairness to join the mob against its own students.
Thus far, Mike Nifong has borne the heaviest penalties for this case. Click here for a prior column and mugshot. Notably, the accuser and main witness who made the false allegations has had no action taken against them.
Many of us were appalled by the actions of Duke against these players. Eager to appease the outraged public, the university suspended the players and all but declared their guilt. It was not just an abdication of their responsibility to their own students, but a betrayal of a long-standing academic tradition to protect the community from prejudice and threats. For a column on the symbol of this academic tradition, click here.
Obviously, a university can suspend students or faculty who are arrested with clear and compelling evidence of criminal conduct, particularly when there is a threat to the community. However, in this case it was always the word of the accusers against these players and there was ample reason to doubt the account.
A copy of the complaint will be available at this site.
For the latest on the story, click here