The moral failure of Richard H. Brodhead toward James Van de Velde

If Richard H. Brodhead had behaved honorably at Yale when the Komical New Haven Kops dropped the name of James Van de Velde as someone their list of suspects merely because he knew the victim of a horrific murder, none of this horror would have happened to Van de Velde. A powerful, honorable dean at Yale could have denounced the folly of the local police. A decent dean at Yale would have walked with Van de Velde into his next class, reached high up to put an arm around his shoulder, and explained to the class that the police and done something outrageous and that Yale was not going to let it go unprotested. Meanwhile, the students were to know that there was nothing to the allegation and the class was to go on with all the respect the teacher deserved.

Duke paid big money when Brodhead violated an agreement and called Michael Pressler the opposite of a Mensch. What Yale needed was a Mensch, what Duke needs is a Mensch.