Report: Accuser of Virginia Lt. Gov. says she was also raped by Duke basketball player in 1999

[Rustyeye77]

The second woman to accuse embattled Virginia lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault claims the alleged incident occurred a year after she said she was also raped by an unnamed Duke basketball player, A.J. Perez of USA Today reports.

Meredith Watson came forward Friday alleging that Fairfax raped her 19 years ago while the two were students at Duke, describing the incident as “premeditated and aggressive” and noting they had been friends at the time in a statement released by her lawyer.

In a second statement released later Friday, Watson claimed the attack was tied to another rape involving a Duke basketball player that allegedly occurred a year earlier in 1999. Watson reportedly told Fairfax about the incident.

From USA Today:

“He revealed that Ms. Watson was the victim of a prior rape,” Nancy Erika Smith, Watson’s attorney, wrote in the second statement. “That is true. Ms. Watson was raped by a basketball player during her sophomore year at Duke. She went to the Dean, who provided no help and discouraged her from pursuing the claim further. Ms. Watson also told friends, including Justin Fairfax. Mr. Fairfax then used this prior assault against Ms. Watson, as he explained to her during the only encounter she had with him after the rape.”

“She left a campus party when he arrived, and he followed her out. She turned and asked, ‘Why did you do it?’ Mr. Fairfax answered: “I knew that because of what happened to you last year, you’d be too afraid to say anything.”

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-accuser-virginia-lt-gov-says-also-raped-duke-basketball-player-1999-055757900.html

That poor woman

[brush]

1. This is getting weird.

[Buckeyeblue]

2. She'll identify Faifax but not the basketball player?

I agree that this is getting weird.

[jberryhill]

3. Presumably the basketball player does not occupy a political office

What would be the point of identifying the basketball player if he does not occupy a political office?

[standingtall]

9. The basketball player is still a public figure and refusing to identify him

damages the accusers credibility. She told multiple friends of hers and the Dean of the university about the basketball player. It is going to be asked who it is and there really is no reason he should have his identity concealed. Cannot be but 1 out of 12 to 15 guys. Could be Elton Brand? So until she reveals who it is everybody on the 1999 Duke basketball team is suspected of rape.

[jberryhill]

11. Why do you believe this person to still be a public figure?

Are you suggesting everyone who was on a college basketball team nine years ago is a public figure of some kind?

The NBA is simply not that large, even it is somehow your odd assumption that every college basketball player goes on to become a pro.

[standingtall]

17. The Duke team in 1999 was loaded about 6 of those guys

played in the NBA. Out out of 12 man roster not counting walk-ons there is about a 50% chance the player went on to play in the NBA. Besides college basketball players at programs like Duke,North Carolina,Kentucky,Kansas are public figures sense they are on national TV all the time. Yeah I know their amateurs, but in reality they are public figures. Whoever it was if they went on to the NBA their career is probably over by now,but everyone on that team is now a suspected rapist until the identity of the perpetrator is revealed.

[jberryhill]

18. A couple of facts

I am sure there were more than 12 people in the basketball program at Duke in 1999. Are you suggesting that they have four years of students there, and only 12 students who are basketball players? I find that a little hard to believe.

Secondly, someone who was on the Duke team in 1999 is not "on national TV all the time". The average career length in the NBA is 4.8 years, even for someone who made it in. (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=average+length+of+nba+career)

1999 was 19 years ago.

Let's say it was a sophomore who played at Duke for four years.

That brings us to 2003.

You are actually going to sit there and say that there is someone who graduated from Duke 15 years ago, and is playing ball in the NBA?

Okay, who? I want to know this. Because we are talking about a diminishing pool of the oldest possible players in the NBA, on the most charitable assumptions.

There are only two players IN the NBA who were drafted prior to 2000. The oldest 12 in order are here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oldest_and_youngest_National_Basketball_Association_players#Oldest_players

[standingtall]

19. There only about 12 players on scholarship at a time

I just said that about 6 players that were on that roster played in the NBA at some point and I said whoever it was their NBA career is probably over by now. I didn't say they all entered the league at the same time or that all or any of them for that matter are still playing. Here is a link Duke's 1998-1999 roster. 5 of those guys played in the NBA so I might have been off by 1 player

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/duke/1999.html


And here is the 1999-2000 roster and 4 of these guys played in the NBA and one them announces college basketball games on espn now.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/duke/2000.html


Whenever it was in 1999 there is decent chance it was an NBA player.


The accuser did not say it was a student that plays basketball for a hobby. She said it was a Duke basketball player implying someone on the team which is a very small group of people.

[jberryhill]

21. Okay so... this is easily dealt with

http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22727&KEY=&Q_SEASON=1999

Nick Horvath - retired in 2015. Lives in New Zealand. Teaches high school physics. Not a public figure.

Carlos Boozer - retired and married his girlfriend in 2017. Not a public figure.

Ryan Caldbeck - walk-on doesn't seem to have played ball after Duke. But....

http://www.shelburnenews.com/2015/08/12/justin-and-ryan-caldbeck-from-shelburne-to-duke-to-the-top-of-silicon-valley/

OH HERE is something interesting. Ryan has a brother who had to quit his position after six claims of harassment:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-13/after-harassment-allegations-justin-caldbeck-attempts-a-comeback-critics-want-him-to-stay-gone

After Harassment Allegations, Justin Caldbeck Attempts a Comeback. Critics Want Him to Stay Gone

J.D. Simpson - CEO of a healthcare company. Not a public figure.

Nate James - retired in 2008. Assistant coach at Duke.

Andre Buckner - marketing officer for a youth basketball program in Kentucky. Not a public figure.

Casey Sanders - not drafted. Played for some foreign teams for a while.

Jason Williams - retired 2006, works for ESPN.

Chris Carrawell - retired 2007, coaches at Duke.

Shane Battier - retired in 2014, owns a sports training company.

Mike Dunleavy - retired in 2017. Currently a scout for the Warriors, which sounds pretty cool until you realize what it is.

Andy Borman - youth basketball coach in Brooklyn.

Matt Christensen - went on to a master's at Harvard Business School. Currently a management consultant.

None of them are still playing basketball. None of them are in the NBA. One of them is an ESPN commentator, and one of them has a very interesting brother, at least.

I may be looking at the wrong academic year, however.

Justin Caldebeck was on the 1998-99 roster, and has had quite an interesting post-Duke career.

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/11/alum-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-speaks-to-finance-class-about-bro-culture

Alum accused of sexual misconduct speaks to finance class about 'bro culture'

For students in the “Managerial Finance” class, last Thursday’s meeting featured something more interesting than typical lectures—a talk from venture capitalist Justin Caldbeck, Trinity ‘99 and a former walk-on for the men's basketball team.

Edwyn Tiryakian, lecturing fellow of Markets and Management, hosted Caldbeck to speak about the male-dominated environment in the world of finance. In June, Caldbeck resigned from his role leading venture capital firm Binary Capital amid allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances, setting off a wave of harassment claims from women in Silicon Valley.

“If we’re going to make change, men need to behave better,” Caldbeck said in an interview with The Chronicle. “Part of what needs to happen is more education around these issues.”

He explained that his presentation to the class focused on the “bro culture” that can begin in college and continue into the professional world.

[standingtall]

23. Thanks for the research

The name could be easily supplied by one of the people Watson told about this or the Dean of the University. I imagine if there is a investigation that's the first place law enforcement will look. Looks like there is no statute of limitations for rape in North Carolina.

[pangaia]

26. Well, she says he raped her. But it is her choice.

[bitterross]

28. Well, how about to have him prosecuted?

Assuming she is telling the truth, he needs to be prosecuted just like Fairfax should be if she's being honest about him. There is not a statute of limitations in NC so the man can and should be charged.

Just because he's not a public office holder doesn't mean he should get away with it.

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Sure, we all know rape victims are easy marks.

“I knew you’d never say anything” — except for that time she told the Dean?

Something doesn’t add up here. Color me suspicious.

[Power 2 the People]

5. This is getting really weird. We need a thorough investigation before resignations are requested.

Let the chips fall where they may.

[Alliepoo]

6. Oh good grief!

There is something going on with this woman and her accusations that is just not right... Hmmmmm.

[LexVegas]

7. Some of the responses above are beyond fucking disgusting. nt

[Empowerer]

8. That comment doesn't sound right.

It doesn't ring true to me.

[Yosemito]

10. She should name the Duke player

for two reasons.
So women are alerted of a possible rapist, and so he can defend himself.

[jberryhill]

12. What if she has reached a confidential settlement with that person?

[Ms. Toad]

15. She is under no obligation to do so.

She did not choose to be raped. She did not choose to bring the prior rape into the public view - Fairfax did that for her. She can, and should, take back control over what happens in the aftermath.

As for the obligations you would impose on her (another attempt to control her) She did report it, addressing your first concern. The school chose to ignore it and discouraged her from reporting it to the police. As for other women - the rapist is always to blame for the rape. Don't try to shift blame to a survivor who - for whatever reason - chose not to pursue action against him either then, or now.

As to your second - he's anonymous, at least for now. He has nothing to defend himself from.

[Yosemito]

16. I didn't say she must do it

I said she should. I can state my opinion.

[Awsi Dooger]

13. I'd like to hear more about the Duke situation

Duke was the dominant team in the nation in 1999, ranked first virtually all season and sweeping undefeated through the ACC. They were 10.5 point favorites in the NCAA title game but were upset by an excellent Connecticut team coached by Jim Calhoun. I was betting all those games in Las Vegas so as soon as I read Duke 1999 I remember it was a very prominent team, and perhaps a prominent player involved in the allegation. Duke doesn't recruit mediocrities.

Obviously Coach K was there, then as now.

[jberryhill]

22. Here's an interesting article

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/11/alum-accused-of-sexual-misconduct-speaks-to-finance-class-about-bro-culture


Alum accused of sexual misconduct speaks to finance class about 'bro culture'
By Claire Ballentine | 11/16/2017

For students in the “Managerial Finance” class, last Thursday’s meeting featured something more interesting than typical lectures—a talk from venture capitalist Justin Caldbeck, Trinity ‘99 and a former walk-on for the men's basketball team.

Edwyn Tiryakian, lecturing fellow of Markets and Management, hosted Caldbeck to speak about the male-dominated environment in the world of finance. In June, Caldbeck resigned from his role leading venture capital firm Binary Capital amid allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances, setting off a wave of harassment claims from women in Silicon Valley.

“If we’re going to make change, men need to behave better,” Caldbeck said in an interview with The Chronicle. “Part of what needs to happen is more education around these issues.”

He explained that his presentation to the class focused on the “bro culture” that can begin in college and continue into the professional world.

[Awsi Dooger]

24. I was struck by another article within that link

https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/03/student-affairs-survey-reveals-startling-sexual-misconduct-statistics

40% of Duke female undergraduate students report being a victim of sexual assault, compared to 20% nationally. With males it is also nearly double at Duke -- 10% to 6%.

Yet somehow that school avoids any type of stigma or related reputation. Obviously there was the lacrosse situation of false reporting. I don't know what to make of it but that 40% was startling.

[Ms. Toad]

14. Note: "He" in the "He revealed" is Fairfax who publicly disclosed Watson's first rape

Adding insult to injury.

She had chosen not to disclose that rape publicly - Fairfax made that choice for her, just as he made the choice to force himself on her.

[Dorian Gray]

20. He can go now...

Buh bye.

[harumph]

25. After reading this I'm inclined NOT to believe her. Flame away.

The quote she provides doesn't sound like anything a perpetrator would say. It sounds completely made up
for public consumption.

“I knew that because of what happened to you last year, you’d be too afraid to say anything.”

Really????

[Awsi Dooger]

27. Same instincts I had

I don't know about the situation itself but that quote stood out as nearly impossible to believe

[jcmaine72]

29. Me three.

This whole thing is starting to reek of ratfucking.