Duke Defense Cites New ATM Alibi

Say 12 Photos Show Client; DA Seeks Re-Election

(CBS/AP) 
Duke suspended the highly ranked lacrosse team from play last month, following allegations that a 27-year-old black student at a nearby university hired to strip at a March 13 team party was raped and beaten by three white men.

A grand jury has indicted two players on charges of rape, kidnapping and sexual assault, and District Attorney Mike Nifong has said he hopes to charge a third person.

The report released Monday night did not consider the rape allegations, but instead focused on the behavior of the team during the past five years. It found that while the team performed well academically and athletically, "a large number of the members of the team have been socially irresponsible when under the influence of alcohol."

"We looked closely but found no compelling evidence to support claims that these players are racist or have a record of sexual violence," said Duke Law School professor James E. Coleman Jr., who chaired the faculty committee that prepared the report.

Going forward, the panel says Duke needs to better monitor its students' excessive behavior off campus and alcoholic intake, Regan reports.

The rape allegations led Duke to accept the resignation of coach Mike Pressler and begin several internal investigations, including the examination of the lacrosse program.

The two players charged — sophomores Reade Seligmann, of Essex Fells, N.J., and Collin Finnerty, of Garden City, N.Y. — have been released on $400,000 bond and are scheduled to next appear in court on May 15.

Meanwhile, the Duke women's lacrosse team is having a good year — on the field. But as CBS News correspondent Joie Chen reports, the scandal that rocked the men's team didn't just take fellow athletes off the field. Many of the men's players are family.

"One of our players, her brother's on the team. A freshman on the men's team … his older sister graduated from our program last year," women's lacrosse head coach Kerstin Kimel said. "We have a couple of kids who have known kids on that program for their entire lives."

This leaves the women's team members very conflicted (watch video). Duke defender Aiyana Newton plays a tough line amid allegations of racism and privilege.

"Whose side do I take? Neither: I support the legal system, I support Duke lacrosse, I support Duke as an institution," Newton told Chen. "There are people coming up to me saying 'How can you wear your Duke lacrosse stuff as an African-American woman?' and I'm like, 'of course I'm gonna wear this. This is my life, this is what I take pride in.'"

Also Monday, members of the New Black Panther Party gathered at an entrance to Duke University to show support for the woman who told police she was raped by three members of the school's lacrosse team.

Late last week, the Atlanta-based group distributed recruitment brochures at various Durham locations — including the courthouse — with information about today's rally.

CBS News affiliate WRAL in Raleigh, N.C., reports that the rally has drawn criticism from the family it is supposed to be aiding. The Monday morning event sponsored by the Panthers was supposed to display solidarity with the woman who says she was sexually assaulted.

But the women's mother says the family doesn't want the party to use the incident as a recruiting drive to seek new members. The accuser's mother says her family didn't ask the Panthers to come to Durham and doesn't want their help.