Duke University's Response to the Lacrosse Situation - A Timeline

Friday, July 21
Athletic Director Joe Alleva announces that John Danowski, a national lacrosse coach of the year winner whose teams won eight conference championships at Hofstra University, has been hired as the new head coach of Duke's men's lacrosse team. Click here to read more.

Monday, June 5, 2006:
President Richard H. Brodhead announces that the Duke University men’s lacrosse program will resume in fall 2006, with stricter administrative oversight and under new standards of behavior drafted by the players. Click here for video of news conference. Athletic Director Joe Alleva names Kevin Cassesse, an assistant coach and former captain of Duke’s lacrosse team, as the team’s interim coach. Click here for more.

President Brodhead sends a letter to the Duke community about his decision to reinstate lacrosse. Click here to read the letter.

Monday, May 15, 2006:

Senior Vice President John F. Burness issues statement on the indictment of Duke lacrosse captain David Evans by the Durham Grand Jury. Click here for more.

Monday, May 8, 2006:

Committee investigating the response of the Duke administration to the allegations involving the men’s lacrosse team issues its report. The committee chairs were Julius Chambers, a civil rights activist and former chancellor of North Carolina Central University, and William G. Bowen, president of The Andrew Mellon Foundation and former president of Princeton University. Click here to read more.

Duke President Brodhead issues a statement responding to the report’s findings. Click here for full statement.

Click here for full committee report.

Monday, May 1, 2006:

Two university committees appointed by President Brodhead hold a press conference and issue their report findings and recommendations. Click here to see video.

The first committee, composed of faculty who are current or past members of the university’s Athletic Council, was asked to investigate the behavior of the men’s lacrosse team prior to March 13 (Click here to read committee report). The second committee, consisting of faculty, students and administrators from the Academic Council's Student Affairs Committee, was asked to look at the way Duke deals with problems of student behavior and the applicability of our Community Standard to social life (Click here to read committee report).

President Brodhead issues a statement about the two reports and discusses next steps. Click here for more.

Friday, April 28, 2006:

Senior Vice President Burness issues a statement on a planned May 1 demonstration outside Duke’s main West Campus entrance by the New Black Panther Party. Click here for more.

President Brodhead issues a statement on the New Black Panther Party demonstration. He states that the demonstrators will not be allowed on or to disturb campus: “Exams Week begins on Monday. This is a period of considerable stress for our students, especially following the already stressful events of the past several weeks. We will not let the safety of our campus be jeopardized, nor will we allow our students’ lives to be disrupted.” Click here for full statement.

Saturday, April 22, 2006:

Following his “State of the University” address to alumni gathered in Page Auditorium as part of Duke’s 2006 reunion weekend, President Brodhead responded to a question about how Duke has been portrayed in the news media coverage of the incident involving the men’s lacrosse team. Click here for more.

Thursday, April 20, 2006:

President Brodhead announces membership of the Campus Cultural Initiative Steering Committee. Click here for more.
Academic Council chair Paul Haagen issues a statement on the character of Duke and its response to the men’s lacrosse situation. Click here for more.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006:

President Brodhead issues a statement on the arrests of two Duke lacrosse players and the need for the Duke and Durham communities to "restore the bonds this episode has strained and learn whatever lessons it affords." Click here for full statement.
Athletics Director Joe Alleva issues a statement on the arrests. Click here for more.
Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs at Duke, issues a statement on the status of indicted students. Click here for more.

Monday, April 17, 2006:

Senior Vice President Burness issues statement on the deliberations of a Durham grand jury. Click here for more. President Brodhead, Chancellor Ammons and Mayor Bell release a joint statement calling for community unity. Click here for more.

Friday, April 14, 2006:

Aaron Graves, associate vice president for campus safety and security at Duke, releases statement on Durham Police visit to campus. Click here for more.

Monday, April 10, 2006:

Senior Vice President Burness issues statement on release of DNA samples. Click here for more

Friday, April 7, 2006: President Brodhead again meets with North Carolina Central University Chancellor James Ammons, Durham Mayor William Bell, local ministers and leaders of the Durham Committee on Black People. Following meeting, Ammons issues statement on behalf of Brodhead and Bell urging calm and importance of letting investigation proceed. Duke Board of Trustees Chairman Robert Steel releases statement on lacrosse. Click here for more.

Wednesday, April 5, 2006:

1. A review of the Duke administration's response;
2. An investigation of men's lacrosse on- and off-campus;
3. A review of the student judicial process and practices;
4. An initiative on improving campus culture; and
5. A presidential council that will assess the university's responses. Click here for more

Friday, March 31, 2006:

President Brodhead meets with Durham Mayor Bell, NCCU Chancellor Ammons, local ministers and leaders of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People. He also communicates with alumni and parents about the lacrosse situation. Click here for more. Duke Student Government issues statement condemning sexual assault, violence and racial intolerance. Click here for more. Vice President for Student Affairs sends e-mail alerting Duke students to a rumor reported by the Durham Police to students living off-campus of a planned "drive-by shooting" of a house near Duke's East Campus, emphasizing there was no reliable information to support the rumor. Click here for more.

Thursday, March 30, 2006:

President Brodhead sends e-mail letters to alumni and parents of undergraduates to update them on the situation. Click here and here for more.
President Brodhead meets with the Trinity College Board of Advisers and later with 230 faculty to discuss the allegations and the university's response.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006:

President Brodhead meets with Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina Conference of the NAACP.
President Brodhead meets with a group of students to discuss their concerns. He calls on them and the larger community to recognize how they can learn from controversies such as the one that has emerged around the men's lacrosse team. Click here for more.
President Brodhead releases a statement condemning a racial slur alleged to have been made by occupants of 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. in the early morning of March 14 and first made public late March 28. Click here for more.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006:

After meeting with President Brodhead, the captains of the men's lacrosse team release a statement. Click here for more.
Athletics Director Alleva announces suspension of lacrosse season. Click here for more. President Brodhead and Athletics Director Alleva hold a news conference to announce that the university is suspending future games of the men's lacrosse team until there is a clearer resolution of the legal situation involving team members. Click here for more.

Saturday, March 25, 2006:

Athletics Director Alleva announces that the men's lacrosse team will forfeit that day's home contest against Georgetown and the next scheduled game. Click here for more.
President Brodhead issues statement on Duke men's lacrosse team, urging cooperation with the police investigation and the need to establish facts. Click here for more.

Friday, March 24, 2006:

Statement on men's lacrosse team by John F. Burness, senior vice president of public affairs and government relations, is released. Click here for more.