Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – A report commissioned by Syracuse University found that the school’s response to sexual allegations leveled at Bernie Fine was undertaken without a cover-up, but that some of the school’s decisions were flawed.
In 2005, Bobby Davis approached the school with allegations that Fine – then an assistant basketball coach – had molested him beginning when he was 12 years old. At the time, the school determined that Davis’s accusations were false.
When his claims became public in 2011, the school’s board of trustees appointed a committee to investigate the response from the school in 2005.
The report was the culmination of a special investigation by an independent attorneys’ office with no connections to the school.
The 52-page report did indicate some part of the school’s process were “imperfect” when examined with the benefit of hindsight. But the report concluded that a better process would not have yielded a better outcome.
Among the university’s missteps, according to report, was its failure to contact law enforcement when presented with Davis’s accusations of criminal activity.
In addition, the report says school officials should have been notified regarding allegations that Bernie Fine’s wife, Laurie Fine, had engaged in sexual activity with student athletes.
The report did not reach any conclusions regarding Davis’s accusations. The special committee was not charged with proving or disproving Davis’s claims.
Davis’s attorney, Gloria Allred, did not have a comment on the report on Thursday. Her office indicated that they would review the report and discuss it with their clients.
