In her column “Innocent till proven guilty competes with the Olympic ideals” (Feb. 3), Joan Beck is a rare voice of sense and order in the hullabaloo over Tonya Harding. The presumption of innocence which operates in a criminal case should not be the standard by which we determine whether an accused athlete should compete as our representative in the Olympic Games.
Suppose Harding herself had conducted the vicious and brazen attack on Kerrigan and we all saw it on TV. Although Harding would still be innocent until proven guilty, surely no one would suggest that she ought to be allowed to compete in the Olympics.
The U.S. Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee should evaluate the current evidence as best they can and bar Harding if it appears more likely than not that she conspired to assault Kerrigan.
