Sunday, December 26, 2010

Notre Dame Prez Defends Seeberg Investigation

((HT: WSBT-TV South Bend/South Bend Tribune, Fosmoe))

The Reverend John I. Jenkins is defending the integrity school's investigation of a sexual battery allegation against a student football player by a female student who later committed suicide.

“I cannot stand by and allow the integrity of Notre Dame to be challenged so publicly. The values at issue go to the very heart of who and what we are at Notre Dame,” President Jenkins said last week.

Notre Dame Security Police conducted a “thorough and judicious investigation that followed the facts where they led and exhibited the integrity that I believe characterizes this institution,” Jenkins said.

Prosecutor Michael Dvorak, who received the investigatory report from campus police in November, announced back on the 16th that criminal charges would not be filed against the player or against another male student who allegedly sent Seeberg text messages of a threatening nature.

Here's the interview with ABCNews where the Seeberg family addressed the Notre Dame investigation- and they weren't happy one bit...


President Jenkins said the player and the player’s friend still may face disciplinary action by Notre Dame’s office of residence life — the player for his alleged actions of August 31st, and the male friend for allegedly sending text messages September 2nd to Seeberg, including one saying, “Messing with notre dame football is a bad idea.”

The text was in response to Seeberg's police report where she said:
"I didn't feel safe in his room....he proceeded to grab my face and started to kiss me. Tears started rolling down my face because I didn't know what to do...I felt so scared, I couldn't move."

President Jenkins has not spoken with the Seebergs since the funeral of their daughter, Lizzy. He maintains publicly that he is trying to remain somewhat detached from the legal machinations until a decision may need to be made on campus as to the students involved in the charges.

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