Krzyzewski: ‘No knowledge’ of alleged assault by ex-player

In this Oct. 24, 2018 photo, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski speaks to the media during a news conference in Charlotte, N.C. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says he has “no knowledge” of a woman’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted by a former Blue Devils basketball player and he believes the school should and will investigate.

Lawyer Nancy Erika Smith has said her client, Meredith Watson, was raped by a basketball player while she was a student at Duke. The New York Times and other publications have identified the player as Corey Maggette, who has denied the allegation. The reports cited a friend of Watson, R. Stanton Jones, who said she told him about the alleged assault at the time.

Watson has also said Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her while they were students at Duke in 2000. Smith said Watson told a high-ranking administrator about the assault by a basketball player but was dissuaded from filing a complaint or notifying police. Maggette played at Duke in the 1998-99 season and then left for the NBA.

Krzyzewski was asked about the allegation after Duke’s 71-69 victory over Louisville on Tuesday night. He said he wasn’t aware of the details. “At that level for that serious an accusation, it’s always university level. Our university, they’ll handle everything and that’s what should happen,” Krzyzewski said.

Thank you for visiting Spokesman.com. To continue reading this story and enjoying our local journalism please subscribe or log in.

You have reached your article limit for this month.

Subscribe now and enjoy unlimited digital access to Spokesman.com

Unlimited Digital Access

Stay connected to Spokane for as little as 99¢!

Subscribe for access

Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in

You have reached your article limit for this month.

Subscribe now and enjoy unlimited digital access to Spokesman.com

Unlimited Digital Access

Stay connected to Spokane for as little as 99¢!

Subscribe for access

Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in

Oops, it appears there has been a technical problem. To access this content as intended, please try reloading the page or returning at a later time. Already a Spokesman-Review subscriber? Activate or Log in