Duke Lacrosse Players Finally Vindicated, But Where are the Apologies?

The nightmare for three falsely accused former Duke lacrosse players is finally over. Unfortunately, the pain and the whispers of the rape charges, false as they may have been, will follow them the rest of their lives.

It has been more than a year since Reade Seligman, Collin Finnerty and David Evans (all white, affluent white males) were charged with raping a black female stripper. In a society in which racial and socioeconomic tensions are still very much a part of daily life, the three young men were immediately convicted by then prosecutor, Mike Nifong, who has since been charged with a smattering of ethics charges.

So, where are the protesters with their apologies for these men? The women who marched at “Take Back the Night” and supported the downtrodden stripper, single mother and student? What about the fans from opposing teams that so hatefully and carelessly called the rest of the Duke team “rapists” and other names? Where are their apologies? The district attorney’s office has apologized … but they had to; they screwed up.

I want to see ESPN, which has essentially abandoned this story because it didn’t have the outcome for which it had hoped, issue an apology to Duke and its players. Its “conviction watch” coverage was unconscionable and anyone who had a hand it in, producers, reporters and anchors alike, should apologize for their biased coverage. Didn’t ESPN hire an ombudsman? Where’s his article about the four-letter’s despicable coverage?

Most of all, I want an apology from the woman who accused these young men. She knew they were innocent and she swore she was raped. She lied. And she should apologize, not just to the three Duke players, but to all women, past, present and future, who have been, or will be raped. Thanks to her, the next time a woman in a similar situation steps forward, people will remember this case and question, “is she lying, too?”