DUKE DOES IT AGAIN – AT 7:20 A.M. ET:  Duke University, in recent years, was best known for the "Duke lacrosse case," in which three innocent lacrosse players had their lives almost ruined by a rape charge lodged by an individual of extremely dubious background, and by a corrupt district attorney, working with Duke, and trying to increase is popularity in a local minority community.

You'd think would be careful.  But political correctness requires total obedience.  From The Hill: 

Duke University's DeWitt Wallace Center is rescinding an award given to journalist Charlie Rose after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Rose received the Futrell Award 17 years ago. The award — endowed by the family of Ashley B. Futrell Sr., the editor and publisher of the Washington Daily News — is given to "recognize an outstanding Duke graduate working in journalism."

"Today, we are taking the unprecedented step of rescinding our award to Charlie Rose," Bill Adair, the director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy, said in a statement.

"I have consulted with students, faculty and staff and found an overwhelming consensus that we should take this action and emphasize that the DeWitt Wallace Center does not tolerate sexual harassment in any form."

Adair said Rose, who attended Duke, was known for his "thoughtful questions" and "gentlemanly approach."

"But the thoroughly reported Post story, which Rose himself has substantially confirmed with his apology, makes clear that he used his status to prey on women who worked for him," Adair said in the statement.

"The Post story is a reminder about the important role that journalists play in holding people in power accountable — including people in their own industry."

COMMENT:  Don't you just love that virtue signaling?  Why, we're just wonderful educators and we want to take a principled stand.  Excuse me for choking.

I'd like to see some of these "principled" educators take a stand against ideological bias in mainstream journalism and the suppression of free speech by the left on college campuses.

I don't defend Charlie Rose.  The things to which he's admitted are vulgar.  But he has not been tried before a jury, and he, apparently, has not been charged with, certainly not convicted of, sexual assault.  He is said to be an unpleasant man, hard to work for, nothing like his public image.   He is boorish.

But he earned the award based on his work.  Duke doesn't have to destroy the man entirely to make a point. 

Do women deserve security and respect in the workplace?  You bet.  But the whole sequence of events in the last few months is so filled with stagecraft, that it risks a serious backlash. 

December 5, 2017