The exotic dancer who claims members of the men's lacrosse team raped her at a March 13 team party will never again have to strip to pay for her tuition.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Saturday his Rainbow/Push Coalition will financially support the alleged victim through college, even if her story is proven false in the courts.
"I can't wait... to talk with her and have prayer with her, because our organization is committed, when she's physically and emotionally able... to provide for her the scholarship money to finish school so she will never... again have to stoop that low to survive," Jackson told the Associated Press.
Jackson said he has not spoken with the woman but has heard from people who have that the alleged victim, a 27-year-old North Carolina Central University mother of two, has plans to attend law school.
"We want to help her with that, too," Jackson added.
Defense lawyers were impressed by Jackson's action.
"That's a very magnanimous gesture," defense attorney Robert Ekstrand told The Chronicle Sunday. "I wish that higher education could be affordable to anyone who wants to pursue it."
Also last week, Duke President Richard Brodhead met Friday with more than two dozen black community leaders, including Mayor Bill Bell and NCCU Chancellor James Ammons, to discuss issues inflamed by the alleged actions by the lacrosse team.
Bell said the group talked about community issues related to being a student athlete and to racism and sexism, among other things.
"I want to make this clear that the issues are not unique to Durham," Bell said. "Any city across this nation you will find the same types of issues."
Ammons and Brodhead also said committees were formed to evaluate their schools' honor codes.
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