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Duke’s Academic Left

In their demolition of the Duke "rape" case, Stuart Taylor and KC Johnson sharply criticize "the powerful, identity-politics-obsessed hard left of Duke's own faculty, 88 of whom issued a statement in April saying "thank you" to protesters who had branded the players rapists. " In particular, it may well be worth recalling the reaction of Duke law professor Paul Haagen who told the local newspaper:

"There was a sense of, 'This is sad, and it's terrible,' " Haagen said. "Beyond that, people don't know what's going on."

Haagen, a law professor who specializes in sports law, said studies show that violence against women is more prevalent among male athletes than among male students in general -- and higher still among such "helmet sports" as football, hockey and lacrosse.

"These are sports of violence," he said. "This is clearly a concern."

What's sad and terrible is the way this case, to quote Taylor and Johnson, "is now unraveling so rapidly as to be ridiculed on 'Saturday Night Live.'" What's also sad and terrible is the way the academic left at Duke (and elsewhere) assumed these kids were guilty and used the opportunity to get in some shots at the "helmet sports."