Back in the early 90's, Wifred Kirklady, a highly regarded recruit out of Brooklyn, Riverside Church was a highly regarded blue chipper who started out at Boys and Girls High and then transferred to Oak Hill Academy. While on a recruiting visit to Syracuse he was accused of rape, arrested and charged. Offered a plea deal hem refused while professing his innocence. Basically all of the schools that were recruiting him, including us, stopped and Oak Hill dismissed him.
The charges eventually wound up being dropped after a video tape was discovered where the accuser stated her plan to entrap athletes. Kirklady was exonerated with the Judge giving him an apology.
I bring this up to point out that accusation are just that, not necessarily the truth.
That being said, I read the original Oregon article along with the Police report and don't wish to go over it again. As the father of an incoming freshman and a transfer at another school, I am under no delusions that there are going to be students of questionable character in school with both of them, no matter what school they decided to go to. These you don't hear about because they are not athletes. This would be the case at any other school. This is a more visible case and quit frankly, I'd rather the school who has had enough "character" problems from in the Executive Office and basketball program in this short century, just say no thanks and move on.
Yes many have gotten second chances, but in this case it doesn't mean we have to be the one to provide it.
As for Mr. Kirklady, WVa. stood by his side and he committed to play there. Unfortunately, returning to school after a break, he had teammate Larry Pollard (Boys and Girls, Riverside) where involved in a car accident and both were seriously injured. Pollard eventually made it back to the court after a redshirt year, but Kirklady never did and eventually had to have one leg amputated.
