The David Braxton Dickerson Rape Charges

Instead of profiling Mo Brooks today, we're going to place him on a back burner for a while. Are most of our readers aware that a former student at the University of North Alabama claims she was raped by a professor in November 2015? She's now filed suit against the alleged rapist David Braxton Dickerson, 45, and the University of North Alabama. 

When the university attempted several months ago to take land from Florence City Schools, we were accused of hating UNA. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Several of us who blog here attended the local university and still take continuing education classes there. It's a beautiful campus. We correspond occasionally with a university administrator and have found him to be both intelligent and honest...a joy to talk with. Still, we feel the university took a wrong turn after Dr. Robert Potts left the helm.

One fact of the case that cannot be smoothed over by juris doctor snake oil is that Dickerson had a previous charge of assault and rape brought against him. According to Jane Doe's attorney, the university didn't do a background check. We honestly cannot see how they did and still hired him. Is there anyone out there who thinks the lack of a criminal record check is a false claim? Assault and rape aren't like a little reckless driving or embezzlement that can be glossed over under certain circumstances. Rape is a true crime of moral turpitude. 

As for Jane Doe, yes, she made some serious errors in judgment on the Orlando trip, but nothing ever justifies rape. This isn't even a case of he said/she said. What Jane Doe says is that she was drugged, ala Bill Cosby. This brings up another serious point. Did Braxton use a UNA credit card for the dinner and drinks on that fateful night? Did he provide drinks for two underage girls? Who approved his expense report once he turned it in? 

Now the university attorneys have issued a statement. Let's look at a few of their talking points:

* Despite the passage of years, UNA is aware of no criminal charges against the professor the plaintiff accuses of sexual assault in her civil lawsuit seeking money damages from UNA.

Passage of years? No matter if anyone thinks the wait was too long, it's been one year and nine months. Isn't it sad that UNA's attorneys can't do simple math?

* Our courts are even open to those who may misuse their right to initiate litigation for the purpose of extorting money with baseless allegations calculated to damage reputations and inflame public opinion.

See what they did there? They didn't say Jane Doe is attempting to extort money, only that our courts are open even to such individuals. Are you liking these Kenneth Kitts/David Shields stooges as much as we are? 

* Student safety is and has always been a top priority, and campus officials are deeply offended by unfounded accusations that suggest otherwise.

Campus/student safety? The UNA campus extends to Orlando? These pettifoggers aren't good at geography either. If UNA truly cared about campus/student safety, why wasn't a background check done on Dickerson? How many others are working at the university without being vetted for a history of sex crimes?

* ...the University (is) at a disadvantage in responding to meritless claims... 

Yet you just responded. According to this statement, Jane Doe's claims are meritless.  

Jane Doe says there are photographs of Dickerson groping her in the hotel pool. If there are, that's a bombshell. If receipts for the dinner that night show that Dickerson purchased two 19 year-old girls alcoholic beverages, that's not exactly brochure material for the university. If any UNA records even partially back up Jane Doe's claims to have reported this rape in detail, she will win her case.

And if her story is totally true? We hope she owns the university.