Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
What Happened That Night?
Three members of Duke lacrosse team, David Evans, Colin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann, were accused of raping stripper Crystal Gail Mangum at a party in April, resulting in the suspension of the team for an entire season and the resignation of its coach, Mike Pressler. The school has been marred by the scandal, and a rift has been torn between Duke and the Durham, N.C. community on the basis of race and victim's rights. The accused deny any wrongdoing, and their lawyers argue the victim's story is false and that she was too inebriated to remember anything. Prosecutors eventually dropped rape charges against the three lacrosse players but, according to defense attorneys, they still faced kidnapping and sexual offense charges.