Faculty committee report on Duke students' disciplinary records

http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/opinion/article_21220054.shtml

Atlantic Monthly online has a report by Stuart Taylor, Jr. on the Duke rape case which unfortunately is only accessible to subscribers. But substantial excerpts are reported at the link above. One of the points addressed is that a faculty committee, which was designated to look into accusations of previous misconduct by students on the lacrosse team, issued a report on May 1.

"Alcohol aside, this report's findings are a stunning vindication of the characters of a group of kids who have been smeared from coast to coast as racist, sexist, thuggish louts. Here are some conclusions of the committee -- chaired by James Coleman, a liberal, African-American law professor at Duke -- that the national media have largely ignored:

"'None of the misconduct involved fighting, sexual assault or harassment, or racist slurs.' There was no evidence 'that the cohesiveness of this group is either racist or sexist.' The 'current as well as former African-American members of the team have been extremely positive about the support the team provided them.' The lacrosse players' 'behavior on trips is described as exemplary.' They are 'respectful of people who serve the team, including bus drivers, airline personnel, trainers, the equipment manager, the team manager, and the groundskeeper.' They are polite, nondisruptive students who have 'performed well academically.'

SNIP

"Speaking of character, how likely is it that the more than 40 kids described by Kimel and the Coleman report could have maintained an airtight cover-up since March 14 of a gang rape in a small, crowded house, with not one heeding pleas by parents and lawyers to protect himself by fingering any guilty parties?

"And what of various team members' handing over evidence sought by police three long days after the alleged rape, such as the accuser's fake fingernails? And of offers to take polygraph tests (which Nifong spurned)? And of other conduct inconsistent with any cover-up?

SNIP

enlisting for Iraq or building a Habitat for Humanity? I know, boys will be boys. Gag me.

how "nice" the students are. Would it have been nicer of them to have had white strippers? According to what you know, did they ask for black strippers? I hadn't heard that.

Hmmm... I don't buy that "eye for an eye" stuff.

Let any guilty parties be punished in the normal manner.