Last week, Crystal Mangum re-asserted her accusation that she was sexually assaulted at a party with Duke lacrosse players in 2003. As the world knows, the three lacrosse players were declared innocent of all charges by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper following an exhaustive investigation. Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong was disbarred over his actions.
The Duke Chronicle reports that Philip Seligmann, father of falsely accused player Reade Seligmann, says he may pursue legal remedies over Mangum’s continuing claim, which is repeated in her new book.
“We are presently evaluating all available legal options. If Ms. Mangum and those associated with her continue to slander Reade, we will have no choice and will not hesitate to utilize those options,” Seligmann said in the statement, which also reiterated the state’s findings that no crime had occurred.
It is this development — Mangum publicly repeating the false accusation — that I feared would occur when Mr. Cooper’s office did not prosecute her after determining no assault occurred at the party.
Meantime, the city of Durham has spent well over $1 million trying to defend against lawsuits related to this awful case.