Syracuse Assistant Bernie Fine Latest College Coach to Face Abuse Allegation
Multiple media outlets are reporting that Syracuse police have begun an investigation of Syracuse men's basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine. The investigation stems from an series of alleged incidents in the mid 1980s involving a young man serving as a team ball boy.
The boy, now grown, alleged abuse by coach Fine over a series of a dozen years. Fine has been placed on administrative leave.
ESPN, which first broke the story on the investigative magazine Outside The Lines, stated that Syracuse university officials first learned about the allegations of abuse in 2005 and passed the information on to police but were told the statute of limitations had expired.
From Kevin Quinn, the school's Vice President for Public Affairs
In 2005, Syracuse University was contacted by an adult male who told us that he had reported to the Syracuse City Police that he had been subjected to inappropriate contact by an associate men's basketball coach. The alleged activity took place in the 1980's and 1990's. We were informed by the complainant that the Syracuse City Police had declined to pursue the matter because the statute of limitations had expired.
On hearing of the allegations in 2005, the University immediately launched its own comprehensive investigation through its legal counsel. That nearly four-month long investigation included a number of interviews with people the complainant said would support his claims. All of those identified by the complainant denied any knowledge of wrongful conduct by the associate coach. The associate coach also vehemently denied the allegations.
More From WIBX 950
