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Duke president apologizes for rape case

DURHAM, N.C., Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Duke President Richard Brodhead acknowledged Saturday he failed to reach out to three wrongly accused lacrosse players at the North Carolina school.

Brodhead for the first time apologized for his and Duke’s role in the case, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported. He said some faculty members made “ill-advised and divisive” statements and he should have been clear they were not speaking for Duke.

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“If there’s one lesson the world should take from the Duke lacrosse case, it’s the danger of prejudgment and our need to defend against it at every turn,” Brodhead said.

The president was one of the speakers at a two-day conference on the case at the Duke School of Law. He announced plans to hold a conference for college administrators on how they should respond when students are in legal trouble.

The three lacrosse players were charged with sexually assaulting an exotic dancer hired for a team party. They have been cleared of any wrongdoing, and the prosecution has cost Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong his job and law license.

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