
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 20, 1990                   TAG: 9004200161
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.                                LENGTH: Short

DUKE ATHLETES' MAIL SCRUTINIZED

A Duke University advisory panel intercepted and opened mail addressed to Duke athletes in an attempt to keep track of sports agents, school officials confirmed Thursday.

The practice was discontinued by Duke President Keith Brodie after he was told about it earlier this semester, Brodie said Wednesday.

The Duke Student Athlete Counseling Committee began rerouting mail addressed to athletes about five years ago, Jeff Potter, a member of the panel and director of real estate administration at Duke, told The Chronicle, the student newspaper.

Mail sent to athletes' mailboxes in the athletic department by sports agents was diverted to Potter by coaches and secretaries so he could record the agent's name and attempt to register the agent with the committee, he said.

Potter said he opened about 20 percent of the athletes' mail sent to him. If an agent's return address was marked on an envelope, Potter said he would record it without tampering with the letter.

Brodie said he learned of the practice several weeks ago in a meeting with Executive Vice President Eugene McDonald, law professor John Weistart and athletic director Tom Butters.

"When that was brought to my attention, I told them that that was unacceptable," Brodie said.

by CNB