Seligmann and Finnerty Invited to Return to Duke
Heh.
Suspended Duke University lacrosse players Colin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann have been invited to return to the school as students, more than a week after the Durham district attorney dropped rape charges against them and David Evans and a full semester after the pair were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the rape and kidnapping charges against them.
The university made the invitation today in letters sent today to the two young men and their families.
I’m guessing the letter didn’t include something like:
We really, really, really, really screwed up by jumping on the “rich white kids rape black girl” bandwagon. Sorry we hung you guys out to dry.
Update: In the comments, Tiffany points to Duke’s web page about this. It is a very fair page, I think, linking to items not pro-Duke at all (see: Will Duke take a look at itself?).
One Response to “Seligmann and Finnerty Invited to Return to Duke”
Leave a Reply
note: by commenting, you indicate that you have read and accept all-encompassingly's comment policy. please print it and keep a copy of the document in your wall safe along with your living will or advance directive.
Although it may not be readily apparent from the media, President Brodhead has actually handled the whole situation amazingly well. He has been the one who has kept reminding everyone that they are “innocent until proven guilty” even when it looked very much like they were guilty. The players were suspended because: “Historically, it has been the university’s practice to issue an interim suspension when a student is charged with a felony or when the student’s presence on the campus may create an unsafe situation.” http://www.dukealumni.com/__page/10036878.100.6.aspx
They were suspended based on University policy to suspend students who have been charged with felony, not based on the University’s own assessment of the matter. If you are interested in how Duke has handled the entire situation, you may want to go to the site the University has set up about it: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/mmedia/features/lacrosse_incident/index.html
Read Pres. Brodhead’s letters to the community. I have found them all to be quite impressive, but what will be even more impressive is if he can actually institute the changes recommended by the special committees he formed.