Bernie Fine Scandal: Why Caution Should Be Shown with Syracuse Allegations

Syracuse University has placed assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine on probation after a former ball boy, Bobby Davis, accused him of sex abuse.

While the obvious similarities are going to jump to the forefront with the Penn State scandal—which is currently shaking State College, where another former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, is accused of sex abuse—caution needs to be exercised before making judgments based on those similarities. 

Davis alleges that over a period of time from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, Fine had "initiated sexual contact with him" until Davis "begin to push him away" at the age of 28. 

It was at this time that Davis reported the incident to the police, to the university and to the media. 

There are the surface similarities, but there are also some major differences between the two cases. Perhaps the most evident differences that Syracuse handled the allegations differently. At the same time, there are disturbing similarities which bear investigation in their own right. 

Like Joe Paterno in FBS football, the head coach of Syracuse University, Jim Boeheim, is the longest tenured head coach in the nation. However, unlike the case in Penn State, it appears that Syracuse University did actually have a thorough investigation. 

According to Boeheim:

"

This matter was fully investigated by the university in 2005 and it was determined that the allegations were unfounded. I have known Bernie Fine for more than 40 years. I have never seen or witnessed anything to suggest that he would been involved in any of the activities alleged. Had I seen or suspected anything, I would have taken action. Bernie has my full support.

"

The actual investigation is more reassuring than what happened at Penn State, where everything looks to be more of a cover up than an investigation. According to SportsCenter, a number of names by the ball boy were given, and Syracuse interviewed every one of them. None corroborated the boy's story. 

Furthermore, the Syracuse Post-Standard also investigated the report. 

"

The Post-Standard’s investigation did not turn up any witnesses who corroborated Davis’ allegations. The Post-Standard interviewed other men, some of whom like Davis lived in the Fine family home for periods of time as children, and at least one who also said he stayed with Fine in his hotel room at the Big East Tournament.

All of these men, including one of Davis’ brothers, said Fine did not have sexual contact with them.

"

According to the Post-Standard article, both ESPN and the police had also been notified by Davis at the time, but neither ESPN nor the police were able to find any evidence to back Davis' story. 

Now, reportedly, Davis stepbrother has given testimony that he, too, was molested by Fine. According to Police Chief Frank Fowler:

"

Information was brought to our attention that warranted an investigation. Once we’re done with what we’re doing, we’re going to turn it over to the district attorney.

"

It is worth noting that the allegations Davis is making would be beyond the statute of limitations. Therefore, the implication is that whatever "information" was brought to their attention is not related to Davis. 

This is a delicate matter for all parties. Fine has been investigated before, and nothing came of it. There were no corroborating witnesses, which is a very different situation from the Sandusky case, where, to date, at least 18 children have come forward.

Also, it appears this was investigated by both the police and the university extensively. There was no effort to cover this up or protect the school. 

There also needs to be a measure of caution in rushing to judge Davis as a "liar" or someone out to make a quick buck off the Penn State allegations. He first came forward years before the name "Jerry Sandusky" became a universally recognized one.

It's possible that the other alleged victims at the time were intimidated and just did not come forward. It's also possible that they weren't actually victims. 

Still, there is ample reason to believe that Fine may be innocent of the charges. The university acted appropriately, and the police investigated the allegations. All these things make it very different from the Penn State scandal. People should exercise caution before trying to draw parallels.