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'''Duke University''' is a private university located in Durham, [[North Carolina]] and stands as one of the most respected universities in the world. It is currently ranked eighth in the ''US News and World Report'' guide to America's best colleges, down from its historical high of third in 1998. Despite its longstanding status as a liberal bastion in a relatively conservative state, Duke counts among its graduates a number of noteworthy conservatives, such as [[Richard Nixon]], [[Henry Hyde]], and [[Elizabeth Dole]].

'''Duke University''' is a private university located in Durham, [[North Carolina]] and stands as one of the most respected universities in the world. It is currently ranked eighth in the ''US News and World Report'' guide to America's best colleges, down from its historical high of third in 1998. Despite its longstanding status as a liberal bastion in a relatively conservative state, Duke counts among its graduates a number of noteworthy conservatives, such as [[Richard Nixon]], [[Henry Hyde]], and [[Elizabeth Dole]].

Recently Duke has been sharply criticized for its prejudicial handling of some false accusations against its [[lacrosse]] team.

Duke's sports teams, namely it's basketball and lacrosse programs, are widely recognized as consistently being among the best in those sports, and they have several championships between them. The team also plays several other sports, but those do not get nearly the recognition of the basketball and lacrosse teams.

In 2006, three Duke players were falsely accused of raping an African American woman. The lead prosecutor, Michael Nifong (who has since been disbarred) insinuated that this could have been a hate crime. After the media convergence on the trial, problems began appearing within the woman's story, as she began to contradict herself. [[Ann Coulter]] wrote several columns in the players' defense. Soon, the players were aquitted by DNA evidence, however, the damage had been done. The 2006 season was canceled, and the players lost their reputations.

==References==

==References==

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{{Nb_US_universities|North Carolina}}

{{Nb_US_universities|North Carolina}}