SYRACUSE — Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine issued a statement Friday denying allegations of molestation levied by a former Syracuse ball boy.
“Simply put, these allegations are patently false in every aspect,” Fine said.
Fine was placed on administrative leave Thursday night in light of the allegations being investigated by Syracuse Police.
The alleged victim, former Syracuse ball boy Bobby Davis, 39, claims to have been abused by Fine for several years in the early 1980s. His stepbrother, Mike Lang, 45, also alleges that he was abused by Fine, who has served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for 35 years.
“The fact is these allegations have been thoroughly investigated multiple times,” Fine said. “When evaluating the veracity of these accusations, please keep in mind that credible media outlets were approached in the past to publicize these false allegations and declined to do so.
“I fully cooperated with all past inquires.”
Onondaga County DA William Fitzpatrick said Friday he would be aggressive in the investigation and vowed “to get to the bottom” of why his office was never told of the allegations.
“I want to know who knew what, what they knew, what they did about it, and what they didn’t do about it,” told The Post-Standard newspaper.
Syracuse senior vice president for public affairs Kevin Quinn said the school was first notified of Davis’ allegations in 2005 and — after police declined to investigate — conducted its own four-month investigation, in which the coach and other people identified by the complainant all denied the activity took place.
“Sadly, we live in an allegation-based society and an internet age where in a matter of minutes one’s life long reputation can be severely damaged,” Fine said. “I am confident that, as in the past, a review of these allegations will be discredited and restore my reputation. I hope the latest review of these allegations will be conducted expeditiously.”
Syracuse chancellor Nancy Cantor issued a letter to the university’s students and faculty Friday insisting the school would not “turn a blind eye” in the wake of renewed allegations against Fine, but added he “should be accorded a fair opportunity to defend himself against these accusations.”
The renewed claims against Fine come amid the high-profile child sex abuse scandal gripping Penn State, which has led to the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno and raised furious questions about a possible cover-up within the higher echelons of the school.
Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim also continued to support his longtime assistant, telling The Syracuse Post-Standard, “This is alleged to have occurred … what? Twenty years ago? Am I in the right neighborhood? It might be 26 years ago? So, we are supposed to what? Stop the presses 26 years later? For a false allegation? For what I absolutely believe is a false allegation?”
Boeheim also denied Davis’ claim that the head coach on multiple occasions saw him in Fine’s hotel rooms during Syracuse’s road trips.
“I know he’s lying about me seeing him in his hotel room. That’s a lie,” he said.
WIth Fred Kerber
