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Since the current tragedy at the University of Virginia, the media has frequently brought up the Duke lacrosse case, as though the latter had some kind of relevance to the former.

Because such associations are likely to be made in the future, let’s get a few facts straight:

The Duke lacrosse players did not commit a crime in Durham; they were the victims of a crime (several crimes in fact: false accusations, and much more). 

Their community rushed to judge them, including preachers, newspapers, politicians, and assumed whatever “truths” were most convenient for their own agendas. The comparisons with Scottsboro are eerie, the sort of perfect parallels which could only occur if we humans really are all alike under the skin, regardless of where and when we live.

Their university went into PR mode and did everything it could to distance itself from them. According to allegations made in current lawsuits, student records were turned over to police in violation of FERPA restrictions. Faculties were instructed to harass lacrosse players (which resulted in one professor making lacrosse students sit apart from al...

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