INNOCENT: A Must Read at FODU

At Friends of Duke University Jason Trumpbour, a Duke alum, former Maryland Asst. State Attorney General and now a Law Professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore has just posted a “must read” for all those who care about justice for Duke Hoax victims, the future of Duke University and an American legal system that strives to live up to our countries founding principles.

Some excerpts from Trumpbour’s post:

Now that Reade, Collin and David have finally been exonerated, it is time to think about the future of FODU. Obviously, our number one priority was ending the hoax and getting Reade, Collin and David from out of harm’s way and that has been achieved.

However, our approach was originally premised on the fact that Duke should be a part of that process, not only for the sake its falsely accused students, but for its own sake. That objective has yet to be realized.

Together, with many others, we changed the world around Duke for the better. However, [Duke’s Board of Trustees Chair] Bob Steel’s most recent letter and the News and Communications Office’s recent attempts at [a history rewrite] show the University still singing exactly the same tune it was a year ago.

When FODU first began operating, a friend of mine who is an alumnus was excited because he thought FODU could become an alternative to the University’s official, administration run alumni organization that would be more responsive to the concerns of alumni.

Something like that has already happened as the FODU bulletin board has morphed into the Duke Community Forum and will likely live on beyond us.

For my part, I have always hoped that the need for our group would be temporary.

Unfortunately, the legal case is over and here we all still are. At some point, the administration will have to come to terms with the lacrosse case. It is not going to go away. The incident will be relived countless more times as the many books about it are released.

The story is not going to get any better for Duke with each retelling--indeed, quite the opposite. …

Jason says more about Duke and then moves on to “Celebrations:”

Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of attending not one, but two celebrations.

The first was a luncheon, hosted by our moderator for FODU members and parents in the Washington area. David Evans and his family were the guests of honor.

The second was a dinner hosted in New York by the Wolcotts in honor of last year’s graduating seniors on the lacrosse team. It is a tradition to have a dinner each year for the graduating seniors, but circumstances prevented last year’s seniors from getting theirs.

Over the course of the last year, I have had a chance to get to know many of the player’s families. I never fail to be amazed at their ability to conduct themselves with grace and dignity and even good humor throughout their ordeal. …

It is worth noting that, to date, the players are the only actors in the entire saga who have expressed any genuine regret for inappropriate behavior on their part and who have been willing to examine themselves with an eye toward improvement.

They are better people for this experience and will use what they have learned to make a difference in the world. Who else in all this can say that?

For those of us who love Duke, the dignity with which the players, especially Reade, Collin and David, conducted themselves throughout their ordeal showed Duke students in such a positive light and gave us all something of which to be proud. …

There’s much more to Jason’s post. You can read it all here.

Hat tip to Joan Collins.