Duke's Private Deal With Lacrosse Players Aims to Heal 'Family'

Jun 19, 05:00 AM

Current Headlines: By Kevin Johnson and Laura Parker

Duke University on Monday announced an undisclosed settlement with three former student lacrosse players who were falsely accused in the sexual assault of an exotic dancer.

Citing a desire to "eliminate the possibility of future litigation," university President Richard Brodhead and Duke's board of trustees said terms of the resolution would remain "a private matter."

"These young men and their families have been the subject of intense scrutiny that has taken a heavy toll," Brodhead and the university said in a written statement.

"We resolve to bring the Duke family together again and to work to protect others from similar injustices in the criminal justice system in the future."

The deal with David Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann comes just days after Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong was stripped of his law license by the North Carolina State Bar.

A three-member bar panel on Saturday found that Nifong had misled defense lawyers and two judges while in charge of the investigation into the alleged March 2006 attack.

Before the panel's ruling, Nifong announced his resignation as district attorney.

He formally submitted his resignation Monday to North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley. In his letter, Nifong said he would leave July 13.

Easley, however, said he wanted Nifong to resign immediately, according to Seth Effron, the governor's deputy press secretary.

Effron indicated there is a process underway to fill the post when there is a vacancy.

David Freeman, Nifong's attorney, could not be reached for comment Monday.

"The events of the last year tore the Duke community apart and forcibly separated us from the university we love," the former students said Monday in a statement. "We hope that today's resolution will begin to bring the Duke family back together again."

Seligmann's attorney, James Cooney, declined to comment on the agreement Monday.

He did say that the former students' attorneys plan to ask that a Durham County superior court judge issue additional sanctions against Nifong for lying in court about key evidence in the case.

The attorneys also have called for an independent agency to further investigate the case. (c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.