Shook the Spot

Five of the 47 players on the Duke men's lacrosse team, currently under investigation for a gang rape alleged to have occurred at a team party, hail from the same tiny Catholic school in Morristown, New Jersey. The Delbarton School, known for its prowess in athletics and not so much in academics, charges $22,500 a year for tuition (among the highest figures for private schools outside of New York City), and the student body is accordingly white, rich, and obnoxious. (Just guessing on the last bit.) Also, in this case, they're Catholic.

Yesterday the Durhman police arrested one of the Delbarton grads, Reade Seligmann, on charges of forcible rape, sexual offense, and kidnapping. (Collin Finnerty . . . Tony Soprano, anyone? . . . was similarly charged. He grew up in Garden City, the tony Long Island suburb, as did three of his teammates. These guys all get churned out of the same factory.) Anyway, you might imagine Delbarton would want to distance itself from Seligmann, since he has been indicted by a grand jury for rape and everything. But within hours of the arrest, Delbarton's headmaster, Rev. Luke L. Travers, posted this statement on the school's website . . .

Knowing Reade Seligmann as well as we do here at Delbarton, I believe him innocent of the charges included in the indictment issued yesterday in North Carolina. The hearts and prayers of our school community go out to Reade and his family, the woman who has made the accusations, the players on the Duke Lacrosse team and their families. It is our hope and our conviction that the full truth of all that happened that night will vindicate Reade of these charges.

Who knew your Delbarton tuition includes a vigorous public defense from the headmaster if you're ever charged with rape after graduation? Principal Klemme would probably not be so kind. But shall we parse this statement? Knowing Reade Seligmann as well as we do here at Delbarton . . . Knowing, of course, in the biblical sense. As in, Bible studies class. What?

Delbarton, unfortunately, has suffered its fair share . . . okay, a fuckload more than its fair share . . . of sexual abuse charges against school administrators and teachers in recent years. In 2002, the school's former headmaster was accused (and then cleared) of molesting a child more than 20 years ago. In 2005, a priest at the school pleaded guilty to molesting a 15-year-old student in 1986. That same year, another priest and a deacon were disciplined by the religious order that runs the school for similar accusations of molestation. Jesus. Maybe Seligmann could use the "I went to school where all the teachers molest their students" defense. Shook, for one, would buy it.

From today's Daily Record of Morristown, perhaps a clue . . .

It was nearly two years ago when the Delbarton [lacrosse] players threw their sticks in the air and piled on top of each other in wild celebration after a 7-6 overtime victory over Mountain Lakes to win the school's fifth state title in a game at Rutgers University.

"It can't get any better," said Seligmann, who scored twice in that game. "It's the best feeling I've had my entire life and I'm sure it's the same for all my teammates."

He scored twice? That's one better than when he raped a stripper last month . . .

 #  hustle hard on the block (0) 4:26 PM