Jim Boeheim insisted the two boys were lying about their encounters with assistant coach Bernie Fine. Well, now the boys who are men, are pushing Syracuse and their coach back, saying Boeheim was making false statements.
Rachel Cohen reports, “Stepbrothers Bobby Davis and Mike Lang have alleged they were molested by Bernie Fine, who has since been fired and has denied the allegations. A third man also has accused the 65-year-old Fine, who had been Boeheim’s top assistant since 1976.”
Jim Boeheim went on to tell Cohen, “(this situation) has seriously hurt my reputation but I want people to know the truth,” Davis said, reading from a statement from Jim Boeheim at a news conference after the lawsuit was filed in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday.
“When the allegations surfaced Nov. 17, Boeheim staunchly supported Fine, saying the accusations were lies to capitalize on the Penn State child sex abuse case. ‘The Penn State thing came out, and the kid behind this is trying to get money,’ Boeheim told the Syracuse Post-Standard.”
Boeheim was quoted, “If he gets this, he’s going to sue the university and Bernie. What do you think is going to happen at Penn State?” said Boeheim. “You know how much money is going to be involved in civil suits? I’d say about $50 million. That’s what this is about. Money.”
This is reason enough to close your mouth until you know all the facts. Regardless of timing, Jim Boeheim had no idea if these kids were telling the truth or just get rich off an increasingly huge Penn State controversy that was just in its initial stages. Either way, the Syracuse head coach and his program is learning the hard way, just as Penn State did months earlier. Sad times for collegiate athletics and these assistant/head coaches. There don’t seem to be many high-character people seemingly running these programs.
Follow Tony Piraro on Twitter @TonyPiraro
