Violent Athletes – Tragedies And Legal Trouble Preventable?
The University of Virginia lacrosse murder case is something that needs no additional commentary. It is a tragedy and no one can deny this. Whether the fact that the victim and alleged killer were both lacrosse players and products of upscale prep schools is germane to the killing is a topic for debate.
What is important, however, is the issue of domestic violence among these athletes. As this article makes clear, this type of tragedy should never happen. The article implies that female athletes do not need to tolerate a higher level of “abuse” from men simply because they are athletes, but they are apparently not speaking up about such incidents. What could be unique about this case is the potentially imminent legal battle between the victim’s family and UVa.
Anti-domestic violence advocate Kathy Redmond makes the point in the article that the “growing permissiveness and lack of education by many women and girls” is … “potentially lethal.” If the reports are true that the aleged killer “has a criminal record dealing with alcohol and violence” and twenty percent of the lacrosse players at Virginia have alcohol-related arrests, then one has to wonder about liability. Specifically, could a is it just a matter of time before the institution which allowed him to play in a culture that allegedly fosters aggressiveness (according to the article) is held liable in a civil lawsuit? This is the type of tragedy that everyone wishes had never occurred, but now that it is out there and a young life has been lost, it seems evident that accountability is the next step.
