White defends Athletics' handling of misconduct allegations

Kevin White, vice president and director of athletics, released a statement to local news sources stating that the athletics department follows proper procedure when cases of misconduct are brought to their attention.

This release comes one day after The Chronicle reported that many members of the athletics department were made aware of allegations of sexual assault against Sulaimon in March 2014. Sulaimon was dismissed from the team in January 2015.

The statement leads with White stating he wanted to “clarify the role of Duke athletics staff and coaches in the student conduct process at Duke.”

Members of the athletics department consistently follow the procedures from reporting cases of misconduct, White said in the statement. Staff and coaches report allegations that they are aware of to the Office of Student Conduct which is responsible for determining disciplinary action.

“The athletics department does not investigate or adjudicate matters of student conduct, and cooperates completely in the process. These investigations are conducted thoroughly, in a timely manner, and with great care to respect the privacy and confidentiality of all students involved. Those procedures have been, and continue to be, followed by Coach Mike Krzyzewski and all members of the men’s basketball program,” the statement reads.

Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, provided The Chronicle with White's statement:

"I want to clarify the role of Duke athletics staff and coaches in the student conduct process at Duke. Any allegation of student misconduct that is brought to the attention of our staff and coaches is immediately referred to the Office of Student Conduct in Student Affairs, which has responsibility for upholding the Duke code of conduct. The athletics department does not investigate or adjudicate matters of student conduct, and cooperates completely in the process. These investigations are conducted thoroughly, in a timely manner, and with great care to respect the privacy and confidentiality of all students involved. Those procedures have been, and continue to be, followed by Coach Mike Krzyzewski and all members of the men’s basketball program. Coach Krzyzewski and his staff understand and have fulfilled their responsibilities to the university, its students and the community. As specified by federal law and university policy, all Duke officials, including Coach Krzyzewski, are prohibited from commenting publicly on any specific individual or situation.” —Kevin White, Duke University Vice President & Director of Athletics

Updated: Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, provided The Chronicle with White's statement. White did not explicitly mention sexual assault in his statement. A version of this article that ran in print on March 4 incorrectly quoted White. This mistake was never made in the online edition. White did not explicitly mention sexual assault in his statement.