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38 lacrosse players sue Duke University

BY KRISTEN M. DAUM | kristen.daum@newsday.com

4:17 PM EST, February 21, 2008

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WASHINGTON - Thirty-eight members of the 2006 Duke University men's lacrosse team are suing university administrators and Durham, N.C. city officials for mishandling the infamous rape cape against the players nearly two years ago.

Ten Duke lacrosse players from Long Island and two of their parents are included in the lawsuit, which was announced Thursday.

"They [Duke University leadership] simply turned their backs on these students," said Charles J. Cooper, a Washington D.C.-based attorney who is representing the players.

A five-page summary calls for undetermined monetary damages against the university for injuring the players' reputations and causing them emotional suffering.

The summary also calls for punishment on university administrators and Durham city officials for "fraudulent, willful and wanton, and malicious conduct."

Pamela Bernard, Duke vice president and general counsel, said in a statement Thursday that the lawsuit is "misdireceted and without merit." She said, "We will vigorously defend the university against these claims."

This is the third lawsuit to be filed by members of the 2006 Duke men's lacrosse team against the university and the city of Durham for the March 2006 false rape accusation.

In April, a North Carolina attorney general dropped charges against three players, who have since filed one of the suits. The second suit, filed in December, is from three players not indicted in the incident.

Cooper said the three cases will likely be coordinated and presented together in court.

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