Unless this is a major April Fool's joke in conjunction between the CHE and K.C Johnson, this just in: Duke Lacrosse Rape Hoax Lawsuit goes Forward The timing is fortuitous, as a post regarding the case was pending here. It will be published, along with some additional observations with the latest revelations in a few days. Posted by Hound No. 2

Duke just barely beat out Butler, and Coach K and his players are to be congratulated. Perhaps this will make up for the rather dismal weak Duke brought upon itself prior:

It has not been a good week for Duke. Now that April is here, the so-called Sexual Assault Awareness month, all eyes have turned to the place where the college-level crime of the decade occurred. A crime committed by Duke, its faculty, president, and the score of media toads who latched on to a rogue prosecutor.

While visiting the Volokh Conspiracy, we saw Professor Eugene had posted about Duke’s Women Center’s cancellation of the a pro-life display at the women’s center. The rationale for the censorship was that there was too much backlash (from whom?).

Within moments, the incident was all over the blogspherer. FIRE immediately started burning, DIW had picked up, and so had Erin O’Conner over at Critical Mass to name just a few. It disappointed us, however, that the Chronicle has yet to make any mention of the story. We must wonder if Schoenfeld has a red phone in the Chronicle editor’s office to make sure that stories like these are quickly buried or ignored.

Duke reversed itself within 24 hours (a record for the institution! ), accompanied by Ada Gregory‘s, the head of the Women’s Center, generously-described apology.

We long-memoried mastiffs are no strangers to the name or role of Ada Gregory. Lest we forget (and believe us, we will not), this is the same Ada Gregory, who without explanation or rational, proceeded to succinctly describe the Women’s Center’s mission at the university with a blatantly slanderous and misandry-filled publication. IN it, she lambasted the intelligence of male Duke students, as "manipulative", and claiming that the higher the IQ, the more successful they are at rape. A similar half-hearted mea culpa (where she blamed the quote as "out of context" (?!)) came from her office by the end of the week.

In her most recent letter, she references Duke complete reversal concerning the actions of her Center, and goes on to Claim that actions had taken place to “ensure that ….does not happen again.” Given Gregory’s pedigree regarding open, honest dialogue (not to mention Duke on a whole), we can only believe her assurances if those said steps include her immediate resignation, and self-imposed exile from institutional office.

-In other Duke News, Gary Lombard, was fond guilty.

-Finally, Duke has settled with Mike Pressler for its failure to reign in the rabid ravings of the Flying Squirrel. If Duke, was actually sincere in this claim, then we fail to understand why there was a need for a libel lawsuit and why Duke settled. If Duke and Burness held and continue to hold Pressler in such high esteem, then why was Burness making disparaging remarks in the first place? Two possible answers present themselves:

Duke is lying and is now trying to do damage control in the face of Duke’s settlement (which is a legal term for “we were wrong, we lost, but we are too cowardly to admit it.”).

-Duke on the whole is sincere, and these highly insulting comments were either Burness' own grudges or they fostered on him by specific higher eidolons in the Duke hierarchy, worried that the evidence presentation process would produce less savory bits of information about specific Duke administrators' going-ons.

Either way, it as several bloggers have noted, does not bode well for Duke and its future.

Posted by Hound No. 2

Bathroom Brawl!

We travel back to Wonderland-but this time it is not 610 N. Buchanan.

Media reports reported early Thursday morning that Crystal Mangum has been arrested on charges of assault, arson, and child endangerment to follow. The “serial fabricator,” as Professor K.C. Johnson has referred to her in the past was fighting with her boyfriend of the time, and attempted to set fire to his clothes. According to the police reports released so far, one of Mangum’s daughters called 911 to report that altercations.

This revelation is interesting for several reasons. First it dispels the image of a innocent, maligned, and over-scrutinized young mother,, that the Mangum Celebrity Tour tried to espouse during her promotion for hr completely negligible book. Rather it further reveals, or rather, adds to the criminal figure that is C.G.M. As the 2006 Lacrosse Case unfolded, Mangum’s criminal record surfaced , and with it a history of armed robbery, false rape accusations, prostitution, drug (both legal and illegal) use, and mental instability.

From K.C. Johnson:

'This case will work its way through the system, and it is premature to suggest
guilt or innocence at this stage. Perhaps Mangum’s new boyfriend (whom she
allegedly assaulted and attempted to kill) and one of her children (who
apparently called 911) were lying about what occurred; perhaps the police report
was flawed. And as the police investigation is continuing, perhaps new
information will come to light about the incident."

Johnson’s Durham in Wonderland writes, a bit more forgiving than we, suggesting that even a serial fabricator and criminal as her deserves the presumption of innocence (though a second read through may suggest some small level of sarcasm) . Fair enough to her, but unfortunately we are not talking about some parable about tax collectors. It is quite crystal clear to we Hounds that where there is smoke, there is fire. And where there is fire, there is Mangum setting fire to another person’s clothing and her arrest on arson charges. No, we say “fool us once or twice, shame on you. Fool us three or more times, shame on us.”

Johnson points out that the Herald-Sun and New York Times both were loathe to point the finger too much at Mangum, which comes as no surprise Looking for honest reporting from either would be comparable to looking for ethics in Richard Herman, sanity at Northwestern, or a legitimate death certificate from Easter Michigan University. What was disappointing was how the Duke Chronicle did not get around to its “breaking news” concerning Mangum until well after 5pm. The story had been on Fox and ABC. since at least 10 am. [Update a check of both Newsbusters and Media Matters result in nothing].

In other duke news, Larry Moneta has returned from beyond the iron curtain to reign in some more control over student lives. Considering that the Water Buffalo cannot even be trusted to run student affairs, either at Duke or Penn, without garnering civil rights lawsuits, we Hounds are quite surprised that he should be given even more control over student lives. Lest we forget, this was the same man who authorized illegal access to residence hall security information. Now he is in charge of the program? Given the Water Buffalo's track record, be prepared to see U Delaware "ResLife"-style indoctrination.

Posted by Hound No. 2