2008 Woodie Awards
Brodhead apologizes to lax players, families
By: Chelsea Allison
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: News
Last update: 9/29/07 at 4:25 PM EST
Last update: 9/29/07 at 4:25 PM EST
- Page 1 of 1
Addressing the public for the first time since the disbarment of former Durham district attorney Mike Nifong, President Richard Brodhead said Saturday he regretted not reaching out to former and current lacrosse players and their families more during the tumult of the high-profile case.
“The fact is that we did not get [the communication] right, causing the families to feel abandoned when they most needed support,” Brodhead said. “This was a mistake. I take responsibility for it, and I apologize.”
Brodhead’s speech was part of a two-day conference at the School of Law on the practice and ethics of trying cases in the media.
He said the lacrosse case had highlighted fundamental problems of a media culture that sometimes preclude justice, and added that he hopes to learn from the lacrosse episode and the mishandling of it.
Brodhead said the case had drawn attention to the difficulties a university faces when its students are charged with serious crimes. He said he took responsibility for the University’s position on the case, which had been based on three separate considerations.
“First, the type of crime that had been alleged had no place in our community,” he said. “Second, the presumption of innocence is fundamental to our legal system, and our students were entitled to that presumption. And third, this whole matter had to be entrusted to the criminal justice system for its resolution.”
He added that he regretted that relying on the justice system—which he described as “only as good as the men and women who administer it,”—may have made the strength of the University’s position unclear.
“Duke needed to be clear that it demanded fair treatment for its students,” Brodhead said. “I took that for granted. If any doubted it, then I should have been more explicit.”
Brodhead also announced that the University will also host a national conference of educators, lawyers and student affairs leaders to open lines of communication about the best practices in the legal field.
“If there’s one lesson the world should take from the Duke lacrosse case, it’s the danger of prejudgment and our need to defend against it at every turn,” Brodhead said. “Given the power of this impulse and the forces that play to it in our culture, achieving this goal will not be easy. But it’s a fight where we all need do our part.”
“The fact is that we did not get [the communication] right, causing the families to feel abandoned when they most needed support,” Brodhead said. “This was a mistake. I take responsibility for it, and I apologize.”
Brodhead’s speech was part of a two-day conference at the School of Law on the practice and ethics of trying cases in the media.
He said the lacrosse case had highlighted fundamental problems of a media culture that sometimes preclude justice, and added that he hopes to learn from the lacrosse episode and the mishandling of it.
Brodhead said the case had drawn attention to the difficulties a university faces when its students are charged with serious crimes. He said he took responsibility for the University’s position on the case, which had been based on three separate considerations.
“First, the type of crime that had been alleged had no place in our community,” he said. “Second, the presumption of innocence is fundamental to our legal system, and our students were entitled to that presumption. And third, this whole matter had to be entrusted to the criminal justice system for its resolution.”
He added that he regretted that relying on the justice system—which he described as “only as good as the men and women who administer it,”—may have made the strength of the University’s position unclear.
“Duke needed to be clear that it demanded fair treatment for its students,” Brodhead said. “I took that for granted. If any doubted it, then I should have been more explicit.”
Brodhead also announced that the University will also host a national conference of educators, lawyers and student affairs leaders to open lines of communication about the best practices in the legal field.
“If there’s one lesson the world should take from the Duke lacrosse case, it’s the danger of prejudgment and our need to defend against it at every turn,” Brodhead said. “Given the power of this impulse and the forces that play to it in our culture, achieving this goal will not be easy. But it’s a fight where we all need do our part.”
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 48
Jim
posted 9/29/07 @ 4:44 PM EST
Groucho Marx is oft quoted as not wanting to be a member of any club which would have him as a member.
I would not be willing to spend a dime in support of sending my grandchildren to a school which would have me as a student or Broadhead as its president. (Continued…)
John C. Randolph
posted 9/29/07 @ 4:54 PM EST
Brodhead should have made his apology when the charges were dismissed. Meanwhile, the lynch mob continues to take up space at the podium in Duke's lecture halls. (Continued…)
rml
posted 9/29/07 @ 5:36 PM EST
Where are the calls for Nan Keohane to apologize? She set the environment where a claim of rape would be taken as a statement of fact. Broadhead clearly made many mistakes, but also inherited an environment where feminazism was the working ideology
DJ Barber
posted 9/29/07 @ 6:12 PM EST
Now that the University president has apologized to the LAX players falsely accused, where is the gang of professors who were so quick and ruthless in their condemnation of the innocent? Where is innocent until proven guilty with the elitist crowd who dare call themselves 'Teacher'
What a civics lesson learned--what a sad time for Duke. (Continued…)
Doug
posted 9/29/07 @ 7:31 PM EST
Any coincidence that Brodhead apologies AFTER the lawsuit was settled? There is saying "sorry" when politically correct and then there is being sorry. (Continued…)
Hershel Parker
Hershel Parker
posted 9/29/07 @ 7:37 PM EST
So Brodhead apologizes for not reaching out to the lacrosse players and their families "more." More than what? And when did he reach out at all? Or as Burness is quoted as saying, "Apologize? For what?" This may be a little too confusing to be the classic non-apology apology we have been waiting for. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 9/29/07 @ 8:01 PM EST
Hello Brodhead's Secretary!!! Are you out there???
After all your painstaking paragraph-free dissertations on here explaining to us hooligans why Brodhead has done a fabulous job and has nothing to apologize for, it must be disconcerting for you that your hero himself has seen fit to apologize for his gross mishandling of the lacrosse hoax. (Continued…)
Mike Haeuser
posted 9/29/07 @ 8:10 PM EST
It is highly instructive that this happened at an elite university where the presumption of innocence and the support of students should be a given. The instructive part is this is a near perfect example of what many of us who have worked in higher education have known for a long time. (Continued…)
Judy Cone
posted 9/29/07 @ 8:16 PM EST
Why is this individual STILL in any position to give an apology? This was a LYNCHING....white on white...professors against students...time no one will ever get back. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 9/29/07 @ 8:40 PM EST
As an alumni of Duke, both in college and graduate school, I have been fascinated and disgusted by the attitude of the faculty members that were so quick to back-stab the falsely accused lacrosse students. (Continued…)
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