Someone in the press section was already typing.
"Although the university failed to intervene when I initially reported inappropriate conduct, it did take corrective action once the severity of the situation became undeniable. I acknowledge the steps taken after the incident came to light. That is not absolution. But it is a start."
He let that sit for a moment before continuing.
"I worked for everything I have here. My scholarship, my academic record, my reputation. I built those things. They were not handed to me. And I will not allow a dead man's obsession to rewrite what I have spent years constructing."
He stepped back from the podium.
The room exhaled.
Then from the press section, sharp and immediate. "Mr. Dixon, do you intend to pursue legal action against the university?"
Lance looked toward the voice calmly.
"That," he said, "is a conversation for my legal representation."
He stepped back and that was that.
Henry had not moved from the wall.
