This past weekend I had the opportunity to introduce my parents to the Cameron atmosphere at the annual Blue-White Scrimmage. As the freshman basketball players were introduced I could not help but ask myself: Did Shelden Williams take part in the gang-rape of a 19-year-old Ohio woman?
The bottom line is that I do not know the answer and it bothers the hell out of me. Williams, DeAngelo Alexander and several other prominent high school players denied the allegations. Williams told The Chronicle last year that "we were in our room, getting ready to go to bed, and someone came in, and things got out of hand, and then coach came in and broke it up." The woman eventually decided not to pursue charges but told WBNS-TV that "they know exactly what they did, and have to live with that."
The alleged rape occurred at roughly the same time that a freshman was allegedly assaulted on East Campus. The event sent a shock through the student body that has only been elevated with the recent assault of a sophomore in Wannamaker Dormitory. These two events have shaken the illusion of security for women at Duke and initiated a set of institutional changes. It would seem that in the case of Williams, we are content to let the issue slide under the rug. I do not accuse Williams of anything because I strongly believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Nor will I make any assumptions about the privileges afforded to the athletes in a basketball program that makes all other Duke sports possible.
I only state that the Duke community does not know what transpired in that Ohio hotel room. If the administration and basketball program wish to retain their integrity and commitment to uncompromised standards of excellence, they should attempt to answer the question that I pray is on every student and faculty member's lips when basketball season begins.
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