In the wake of the Imus / Rutgers Women's Basketball Team controversy, some called for the former shock jock to donate millions to Rutgers to be used as scholarship dollars. What hasn't been widely reported is that, at almost the same time, Rutgers had extended some of what scholarship dollars it has to a convicted sex criminal. The offer was rescinded after ESPN aired the story, which, apparently, has not been picked up by the wires.
Rutgers University last night rescinded its scholarship offer to Reggie Dixon, the Plainfield High School football star whose record-breaking speed made him one of the state's most sought recruits.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano made the announcement an hour before ESPN went on the air with a report that Dixon had committed a sexual assault as a juvenile 18 months ago.
He was convicted of assault on a non-blood relative and deemed not likely to re-offend.
In August, Dixon was sentenced in Union County Juvenile Court to three years' probation on two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault for having sex with a nonblood relative. His sentence did not include jail because he had no previous record and the sentencing judge deemed there was little risk he would re-offend.
The Mother insists she attempted several times to inform Rutgers of the issue prior to the scholarship offer being extended.
As Dixon narrowed down his choices during the fall and winter, the mother of the girl he sexually assaulted said she contacted several schools interested in Dixon, telling each of them she planned to take her story to news organizations.
"To me, parents have a right to know where they're sending their daughters to school," the victim's mother said.
The victim's mother said her final contact with a Rutgers administrator was with Jason Baum, the school's assistant director of athletics for football media/public relations.
"He told me he would call me back and he never did," the victim's mother said.
Baum declined comment, saying Schiano spoke for the program. Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy also declined an interview request through a spokesman.
"We've commented on the situation and we have nothing more to say," said John Wooding, Rutgers' sports information director.
Oh, thank god. I was worried Dan wouldn't pile on to this game of "gotcha!" by proving that Rutgers does stupid things too. I suppose everyone should feel properly shamed and give poor Don Imus his show back now.
*shakes fist at liberal media* Damn you!
Posted by: Zifnab | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 01:21 PM
Charleton Heston you ain't, Ziffy Lube!
Posted by: Dan Riehl | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 02:02 PM
I'm a little sensitive on this subject, having almost been sent to JC for "statutory rape" myself... at age 14 and the girl in question was a year older!
KNowing the Byzantine web of laws around sexual congress with girls under 18, and how even more anti-male those laws have been slanted by feminist pressure, I'd want a bit more information before condemning the guy. Was he messing around with his stepfather's 12 year old daughter by a different marriage, or did he get caught in flagrente delicto by the mother of a 16 year old cousin-in-law? The information presented doesn't allow that sort of determination.
Realizing that he was 17 at the time, I'd cut him some slack in the latter case. I think that if most of the readers of this blog remembered their own teenage years, they would too.
Posted by: bud | Friday, April 20, 2007 at 05:52 PM