Duke and Men's Lacrosse >> Summary of Committee Reports Completed to Date

Summary of committee reports completed to date

On April 5, 2006, Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead announced in a letter to the Duke community that he would ask five separate committees to report on issues raised in the wake of the men's lacrosse team incident. To date, three of those committees have issued their reports. Below are summaries of those reports, with URLs for copies of the full reports.

Investigation of Men's Lacrosse

On May 1, a faculty committee investigating the conduct of the men’s lacrosse team prior to the March 13 party found that team members were “academically and athletically responsible students,” but too many have been irresponsible in their use of alcohol and engaged in “repetitive misconduct.”

The report recommended that Duke continue the men’s lacrosse team with an “explicitly articulated” code of conduct for athletes. It also recommended a better system of communication between the student affairs and athletics units, as well as a clearly articulated and enforced university alcohol policy.

Examination of Student Judicial Process and Practices

Also on May 1, a committee of faculty, administrators and a student reviewing Duke’s judicial practices for students issued a report saying inconsistent enforcement of the university’s alcohol policy “severely undermines” its effectiveness. Duke’s judicial policies are “quite comprehensive” and “reasonable” for dealing with students facing criminal charges, but students need clearer expectations to guide their behavior outside the classroom and in the community, the report said.

The report called for “a comprehensive set of programs to educate students about, explicitly model, repeatedly reinforce, and promote internalization of the institutional values articulated in the [Duke Community Standard],” which should be broadened to include student behavior beyond Duke’s boundaries.

Investigation of Duke Administration Response

On May 8, a committee led by Julius Chambers, former chancellor of North Carolina Central University, and William G. Bowen, former president of Princeton University, reported on the Duke administration’s response to the incident.

The report said the Duke administration “was much too slow in understanding and addressing the serious and highly sensitive issues raised by the rape allegations and associated events.” However, the committee said it found no evidence “that this delay represented any effort to cover up the problems revealed by these events, to deceive anyone, or to play down the seriousness of the issues raised.”

Suggestions in the report included clearer guidelines for student conduct, a review of policies involving off-campus housing and alcohol consumption, a fresh look at the role of athletics, and continued efforts to “promote better and stronger relationships with the Durham community.”