Learning Nothing From Duke Debacle, NYT Smears Another College Athlete

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/clay-waters/2012/01/31/learning-nothing-duke-debacle-nyt-smears-another-college-athlete-assaul ^

[chessplayer]

Did the New York Times learn nothing about rushing to judgement and presumption of innocence from its Duke lacrosse “rape” hoax debacle?

More than any other media outlet, in 2006 the Times trumpeted black stripper's Crystal Mangum's rape accusations against three white Duke lacrosse players, accusations that quickly fell apart in a mass of contradictions and shifting stories.

Yet even as the case fell apart and other liberal media outlets backed away, the Times issued a now-notorious, error-riddled 5,000-word lead story by Duff Wilson, concluding that there was enough evidence against the players for Michael Nifong, the soon-to-be-disgraced-and-jailed local prosecutor, to bring the case to trial.

Perhaps most atrocious was former columnist Selena Roberts, who continued to smear the innocent Duke lacrosse players even after they had been all but formally cleared of assault.

Now, the Times has another college sports expose from another bastion of privilege, Yale University. Richard Perez-Pena’s Friday bombshell, based on anonymous sources speaking on confidential complaints, involves an informal campus accusation of sexual assault against Yale quarterback Patrick Witt, who made good-news headlines last fall for turning down the chance to becoming a Rhodes scholar to play against Yale’s arch-rival Harvard in "The Game."

After waiting (as WP columnist Kathleen Parker notes) until paragraph 11 to note the accusations are anonymous, and paragraph 14 to admit “Many aspects of the situation remain unknown,” Perez-Pena used Witt’s membership in a controversial frat as part of the character assassination: “Last year, Yale overhauled its systems for handling such complaints and imposed a five-year ban on campus activities by a fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon, whose members and pledges had engaged in highly publicized episodes of sexual harassment. Witt was a member of that fraternity and lived in its off-campus house.”

As part of the smear Perez-Pena even added “two minor arrests” on Witt’s record, one for creating a public disturbance and the other for entering a residence hall without permission, nightly occurrences in college towns. (In similar fashion, the Times slimed the entire Duke lacrosse team for such chilling crimes as public urination and violating noise ordinances.)

[CondorFlight]

“Did the New York Times learn nothing about rushing to judgement and presumption of innocence from its Duke lacrosse “rape” hoax debacle?”

The PC narrative of white male athletes gang raping a poor working woman of color was too good for the media to pass up.

Too bad none of it was true—but when did the Times let the facts stand in the way of working over a good story?

[Clock King]

Learn?? It’s standard operating practice for the Left. Repeat a lie until it becomes the truth.

[Free State Four]

Two words: Frank Lombard

[Rummyfan]

Perhaps most atrocious was former columnist Selena Roberts, who continued to smear the innocent Duke lacrosse players even after they had been all but formally cleared of assault.

I can take comfort in the fact that this stupid cow Roberts is no longer wrting for the NY Times nor Sports Illustrated. When she appeared on The Sports Reporters it looked like she hadn't washed her hair in a week. Maybe she caught on with the Dubuque Star sports section.