Reply #15: As a result of neighborhood complaints, Duke had just purchased 610 N. Buchanan

[struggle4progress]

for resale for single family occupancy not long before the now-famous stripper party there:

What is happening with the house at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd.?

In February 2006, the university purchased 12 houses and three lots in neighborhoods close to campus -- including 610 N. Buchanan -- with the intent of turning them into owner-occupied residences. The $3.7 million investment came in response to complaints about the noise and other disturbances caused by parties in off-campus houses rented by multiple students. http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/03/lacrossefaq.html#house

So there was some prior concern about student behavior at the property. And despite university plans to change the use of the property, there was continuing reason for concern about student student behaviors there on the night in question:

On March 13, the team held a spring break party at 610 N. Buchanan Blvd. Two escort service dancers were hired to perform, investigators said. There was underage drinking and racial slurs were shouted, defense lawyers have acknowledged. http://www.newsobserver.com/145/story/465495.html

Shortly after the party ended, a member of the Lacrosse team sent an email about murdering strippers:

Hours after an exotic dancer was allegedly raped by members of the Duke University lacrosse team, a player apparently sent an e-mail saying he wanted to invite more strippers to his dorm room, kill them and skin them. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8GQ1F0GC&show_article=1

The subsequent university investigation, comparing behaviors of lacrosse team members to other students and other team members, noted:

By all measures that we considered, the disciplinary record of the lacrosse team was noticeably worse that the records of all other athletic teams. http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/mmedia/features/lacrosse_incident/lacrossereport.html

And there was some history of team members having run-ins with local law enforcement:

About a third of the members of the Duke men's lacrosse team .. have been previously charged with misdemeanors stemming from drunken and disruptive behavior in the past three years ... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2387151

An out-of-town assault charge against a team member also became known not long after the party:

A member of the Duke University lacrosse team was charged last fall with assaulting a man in the Georgetown section of Washington. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/sports/othersports/05duke.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

What would a responsible university administrator or law enforcement official do, when a rape charge appears in this context? The natural reaction, of course, would be Whoa! We might have a major problem here!