Ex-Duke lacrosse coach settles lawsuit

Raleigh News and Observer ^ | March 31, 2010 | Anne Blythe

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Published Wed, Mar 31, 2010 05:51 PM Modified Wed, Mar 31, 2010 05:56 PM Ex-Duke lacrosse coach settles lawsuit

DURHAM Duke University and Mike Pressler, the man at the helm of the lacrosse program when a stripper brought false rape accusations against three team members, have settled a lawsuit filed by the former coach.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

"Coach Michael Pressler is an excellent coach," Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said in a prepared statement. " He did a great job building the Duke men's lacrosse program, while maintaining a 100 percent graduation rate in his sixteen years. Duke University regrets any adverse consequences that the Newsday or AP article had on Coach Pressler or his family. Duke wishes nothing but the best for Coach Pressler in his future endeavors, especially at Bryant University and as he leads Team USA in the World Lacrosse Championships."

Pressler , who built a national powerhouse lacrosse team during his 16 years at Duke, was forced out in April 2006 shortly after an escort service dancer accused players of gang-raping her - allegations that turned out to be phony/

In 2007, Pressler and Duke reached a confidential settlement.

Lawyers for Pressler argued in a 2008 Superior Court hearing that language from the settlement agreement showed the former Duke employee was no longer bound by policies of previous contracts with the university.

Pressler has alleged that John Burness, Duke's former senior vice president of public affairs and government relations, made slanderous, libelous and defamatory remarks about him to the news media after the settlement was reached.

Burness retired in June 2008 after 30 years on the job.

Initially, Pressler argued that Duke had reneged on its settlement agreement, which had a clause prohibiting disparaging remarks.

But in a legal maneuver designed to sidestep arbitration, Pressler dropped that claim and slimmed down his complaint to focus on Burness' comments.

In the suit, Pressler complains about an April 9, 2007, article in the New York newspaper Newsday quoting Burness as saying the difference between Pressler and current lacrosse coach John Danowski was "night and day."

In that article, the suit contends, Burness described Danowski as a "mensch," a Yiddish word for a person of great integrity and honor that Pressler 's lawyers defined in their brief.

The second comment that Pressler complained about came in June, when The Associated Press quoted Burness as saying, "It was essential for the team to have a change of leadership in order to move forward."

Since losing his Duke job, Pressler has written and promoted a book about the lacrosse case. He now coaches at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

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This just in.

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ping

[clintonh8r]

I hope he took those arrogant bastards for a bundle. A big bundle.

[ConservativeMind]

Isn’t this very paper the one that led the besmirchment?

[MinuteGal]

SCHADENFREUDE ! ! ! ! !

Leni

[abb]

Isn’t this very paper the one that led the besmirchment?

Yes. They were largely responsible for ginning up the mob that tried to frame the three lacrosse players.

[The G Man]

Usually I’m not a big fan of runaway jury verdicts ... but I’ll make an exception in this case.

[Jrabbit]

Thanks for the ping! Good for the coach!! I hope he got a bundle!

[mortal19440]

What ever happened to the 88 asshat Profs that signed the gang letter?

[pnh102]

One of the few times "justice" is actually served and the good guys win.

I feel bad though for all the poorer innocent people the DA in this case screwed over.

[abb]

And one other point. The headline is backwards. Pressler didn’t settle, Duke did.

[abb]

What ever happened to the 88 asshat Profs that signed the gang letter?

Almost all, if not all are still there.

[Fido969]

What do the lefties care? It’s not their money.

[jiggyboy]

As is usual for leftists, the incident has been completely ignored and at least a half dozen have been promoted within Duke or have gotten higher-paying jobs at name-brand leftist hives of higher education.

[Mark17]

Duke University regrets any adverse consequences that the Newsday or AP article had on Coach Pressler or his family.

I don't believe that for a second. They regret adverse consequences that it has on them, not coach Pressler.

[jnsun]

I don't believe that for a second. They regret adverse consequences that it has on them, not coach Pressler.

Perfect!

[truthguy]

7 Comments:

1. I hope he took them to the cleaners!
2. The president of Duke University, Richard Brodhead is the ulitmate coward. He knew these guys wre innocent and yet he refused to back them. I cannot express my disgust at the POS. If I met him in person, it would take all the willpower I have not to spit in his face. He's a disgrace and it's a disgrace to all the powers at Duke that he's still there. Shame on you Duke U.
3. Gang of 88. Well they are beyond shame. They are scum of the earth.
4. NY Times- Scum of the Earth for your reporting in the early days. All you needed to do it read the police report and you could tell it's a sham.
5. Nancy Grace- Well what can you say about this poor excuse of a human being. She got on TV night after night essentially saying these guys were guilty. She should know better as an attorney. When the North Carolina DA finally got on TV and said the guys were innocent and that the charges were dropped, she didn't have the guts ot go on TV that night. She was conveniently absent. She to my knowledge never apologized. Maybe she did later but I didn't hear it. What a joke this woman is. I only watched her for this case and that was enough.
6. Whole MSM- Pathetic as usual. They all got it wrong from the get go. But I wouldn't expect anything different from them.
7. Mike Nifong- Well what can you say that hasn't been said.

[Carley]

The lying 88 are most likely now working in the maoist administration.

[SunkenCiv]

Duke University and Mike Pressler, the man at the helm of the lacrosse program when a stripper brought false rape accusations against three team members, have settled a lawsuit filed by the former coach... "Coach Michael Pressler is an excellent coach," Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said in a prepared statement. " He did a great job building the Duke men's lacrosse program, while maintaining a 100 percent graduation rate in his sixteen years. Duke University regrets any adverse consequences that the Newsday or AP article had on Coach Pressler or his family. Duke wishes nothing but the best for Coach Pressler in his future endeavors, especially at Bryant University and as he leads Team USA in the World Lacrosse Championships."

Each and every one of the tenured staff who signed that libel of him and his students should have been hauled before the review board, had their tenure revoked, and then been fired. And I only say that because I'm in a good mood.

[Hawthorn]

>> The president of Duke University, Richard Brodhead is the ulitmate coward. <<

Absolutely, and let's not forget that Brodhead was involved in a similar case at Yale, where he helped drag an innocent man's reputation thru the mud. See:

http://article.nationalreview.com/281872/forget-the-facts/michael-rubin

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Hiding behind their tenure. Even a 100 kiloton nuclear blast couldn’t remove them from their guaranteed teaching posts at these liberal alamos.

[FreedomPoster]

I’ll add one for you:

8) Coach Mike Krzyzewski failed to use his stature and bully pulpit at Duke to stand up for these young men in Duke athletics, at a time when anyone paying attention knew they were innocent. Instead, he hunkered down and kept quiet, and thereby lost the respect of thinking people.

[truthguy]

Yes I didn't think about that. I lost a lot of respect for Krzyzewski on this matter. He was in a difficult position but if he had true courage he would have come forward. I have sources from friends (Duke Alumni) who say that everyone close to the events knew the whole thing was a giant sham but few lacked the courage to stand up for what was right. That would surely include Krzyzewski. About the only people in that school who had courage was the womens Lacrosse Team in their symbolic jesture of wearing headbands with innocent on them. Courage is a rare commodity in Durham N.C.

It's also funny just how fast the story was dropped by the MSM after the NC Attorney General came forward. If the races of the victims were reversed you can bet your last dollar it would not have been dropped so fast. There would be Congressional Investigations. There would be movies made about it and the like. Where's Hollywood? What's the matter Hollywood? Isn't this a compelling story? Talk about lack of courage. Talk about double-standard. Well nobody with any brains ever thought Hollywood had any integrity. But what bothers me the most is how the bigger story wasn't reported. How could this sham (and everyone with a triple digit IQ knew it was a sham) go on for over a year? That's the real story. What a disgrace the MSM is.

[FreedomPoster]

It wasn’t funny how fast it was dropped by the MSM, it was completely expected. Nancy Grace was a symbol for the entire MSM on that, and Jon Stewart of all people nailed her on that.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-12-2007/duke—non—rape-case

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

And one other point. The headline is backwards. Pressler didn’t settle, Duke did.

N&O still fighting it to the bitter end.

[ltc8k6]

Thanks!

[truthguy]

I'm not a Jon Stewart Fan but I thought that was great. Yes I remember tuning into Nancy Grace the day the charges were dropped only to see a guest host. I was hoping to see her inhale crow for all the stupidity of her remarks. Remember being a liberal means never having to say you were wrong.

I actually think the woman is mentally ill. I wonder if she ever apologized. And why hasn't anyone called her on it?

[FreedomPoster]

The entire MSM is mentally ill, to varying degrees.

[truthguy]

N&O still fighting it to the bitter end.

Yes being a liberal newspaper means never having to admit you were totally, completely, absolutely, 100% wrong. What a pathetic newspaper.

[BradyLS]

Agreed. I hope he got enough that Duke can’t be a lacrosse power-house for a good long while. Enough that Duke worries more about being sued over false charges than knuckling under to knee-jerk political correctness.

[BradyLS]

I’ll bet a glowing press release for the coach afterwards was part of the settlement.

“Okay, after you guys man-up and pay through the nose, you also have to issue a nice apology to the wronged party. And here’s what you’ll say...”

[Neverforget01]

I'll never forgive Kimberly Guilfoyle and Wendy Murphy either. They were atrocious.

[Osage Orange]

You can add the Duke University Official Frank Lomard. He's the homosexual pervert white father of a very young black adopted child..Who he "had his way with"...and "rented" the kid out to other perverted homosexuals.

Generally CRICKETS from the MSM....

[red devil 40]

gotta admit, “Duke LaCrosse” is a cool porn name though.....