Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghostwriter
I disagree. The faculty at Duke did come out squarely against the Lacrosse team and in support of the stripper without the full story. A letter to the newspapers was signed by quite a few faculty members and poisoned the well against the team members so to speak. This was an effort on their part to be perceived as politically correct. The accused members of the team as well as the coach have since sued the University over the actions of the faculty. I believe several of the players have settled out of court with some suits still pending. I live 10 miles from the campus and this case was all over the local news as well as nationally. The similarities are definitely there.
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I see your point (I'm in the same media market as well), and the faculty and administration at Duke clearly ran amok and piled on -- I shouldn't have suggested otherwise. But they did so
after the criminal proceedings, which were the bigger issue, were already in high gear, and to me that seems to be a fundamental difference.
I think at the root of it, I'm just leary of any situation being labeled "the next Duke lacrosse case" (or the next whatever else) -- I tend to think that sort of tag does little but to put emotion and preconceived assumptions ahead of facts. Perhaps it's simply the lawyer in me, but when I hear the fraternity comparing its situation to the Duke lacrosse case, my reaction is to think that someone is overselling. Like I said, it makes a good soundbite.