SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Police said late Thursday they were investigating a molestation allegation against long-serving Syracuse University basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine.
Police Sgt. Tom Connellan told NewsCore that the Syracuse PD in upstate New York was “in the very early stages of an investigation. Information was brought to us today.”
Fine — who has served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for 35 years — has been placed on leave by the university, which said in a statement, “In light of the new allegations and the Syracuse City Police investigation, this evening Chancellor Cantor asked Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross, to place Associate Head Coach Bernie Fine on administrative leave.”
Alleged victim Bobby Davis, 39, told ESPN he had been abused by Fine beginning in 1983 before he entered seventh grade. He was the team’s ball boy for six years from 1984. He said the alleged abuse occurred at Fine’s home, at Syracuse University facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four.
The university’s Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn said the school was first notified of the 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.
“Syracuse University takes any allegation of this sort extremely seriously and has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. If any evidence or corroboration of the allegations had surfaced, we would have terminated the associated coach and reported it to the police immediately,” Quinn said.
“We understand that the Syracuse City Police has now reopened the case, and Syracuse University will cooperate fully. We are steadfastly committed ensuring that SU remains a safe place for every member of our campus community.”
Connellan would not confirm to NewsCore how many complainants were involved. Syracuse.com quoted Syracuse District Attorney William Fitzpatrick as saying he couldn’t imagine police would investigate allegations that date back to the 1980s because there would be no chance of prosecution owing to the statute of limitations.
A profile of Fine on the Syracuse University website said he was married with a son and two daughters, was president of the Central New York Kidney Foundation and had received an award for his mentoring of Syracuse University students.
The controversy comes amid a scandal gripping Penn State University, after assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with multiple counts of sexually abusing boys over a 15-year period — offenses he denies. The ongoing issue has snared a number of university officials, with former coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier both dismissed.
