Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Reflections on the Duke University Lacrosse Allegation
Rev. Dr. James A. Keeton, Jr.
In my second semester at Duke Divinity School, the nation watched as three members of the Duke University men’s lacrosse team were accused of rape. David Evans, Colin Finnerty, and Reade Seligmann were charged with raping Crystal Magnum, who was a student at North Carolina Central University and worked part-time as an exotic dancer. Magnum claimed that the rape happened when she worked at a party that the lacrosse team hosted at the local residence of two of the players. The accusation ripped away scabs of too-familiar wounds. Wounds such as racism, white privilege, classism, and sexual violence came to the forefront.
In the days after the allegation, there was tension on campus and in the community. Student organizations were sponsoring rallies, and victims of sexual violence came forward to express concern over the accusation. The relationship between the students at Duke University, a predominantly white institution, and North Carolina Central University, a historically black university, was strained. The political climate expedited the accusation and led to a rush to judgment. This fervor resulted in the former prosecutor, Mike Nifong, resigning as the Durham County District Attorney. The following year, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper exonerated the three lacrosse players as being innocent victims of a rush to justice. Recently, in December 2024, Magnum admitted that she fabricated the assault. After almost two decades, her admission brought closure to this entire ordeal.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the accusation, I remember being caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, I could identify with the plight of Black people who had been abused at the hands of racial oppressors. Especially hurtful was the sexual violence endured by black women at the hands of people who enslaved them. Men who would leave the comforts and conveniences of the “big house” and make their evening strolls to the “slave quarters,” terrorizing black womanhood. This accusation in 2006 evoked images that were painfully all too familiar in a racialized history of America. On the other hand, I know young men who had their innocence taken away by false accusations. Young men in the prime of their lives lost opportunities for advanced education, opportunities in their careers, and opportunities with their freedom.
Some young women suffered from sexual violence and were critical of me for not saying more in response to the accusation. I vividly remember listening to my classmates on national news broadcasts express their concerns over the allegations. As I continue to reflect on this event, I realize that there will be times in our lives of faith when we will get caught between a rock and a hard place. There will be situations where we must prayerfully decide our appropriate response to what is happening around us. There have been times when the church is too silent about issues that are affecting the lives of others. There have also been times when the church has rushed to judgments that left us making knee-jerk reactions to accusations that were unfounded.
My intention is not to suggest that the church only be reactionary in our communities. The church must continue seeking ways to be relevant by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in the world. The Great Commission and commands of God have not changed for us. Nevertheless, we must be intentional about how we respond to the events around us. We must ask ourselves: how can our responses be rapid yet responsible? How can our responses be timely yet trustworthy? How can our responses be fast yet faithful? The answer to these questions is essential to the integrity of our relevant witness of Jesus Christ.
Well said.