Attorney Gloria Allred criticizes report on 2005 investigation
UPDATED: June 9, 2012, 10:50 p.m. EST
Attorney Gloria Allred issued a statement Monday afternoon criticizing the report published by Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees regarding SU’s 2005 investigation into allegations against former associate men’s basketball coach Bernie Fine.
Her nine-page account touches on 13 distinct criticisms of the report, produced by a special committee of the Board of Trustees, and asserts that overall it “is a complete whitewash” and “raises more questions than it answers.”
Allred represents Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, former ball boys for the men’s basketball team, who allege they were sexually abused by Fine.
Fine, who was fired by SU on Nov. 27, has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged.
Some of Allred’s criticisms include SU’s decision to approach the allegations as a human resources issue and the choice to have its regular counsel –– the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King –– conduct an unbiased investigation into the allegations in 2005.
She is also critical of the report’s statement that there was no effort to cover up the allegations, because it acknowledges that the Board of Trustees and law enforcement should have been contacted.
“This conclusion does not pass ‘the laugh test’ and appears to us to be preposterous on its face,” Allred wrote in the statement.
At several points, the attorney’s statement questions why Davis’ allegation that Fine’s wife, Laurie, had sex with players on the SU basketball team was never explored further in the report.
But most of all, she said, the report suffers from the same deficiencies as SU’s 2005 investigation: It is not completely transparent and does not contain critical analysis.
Said Allred: “Syracuse University should be fully transparent and address these issues honestly even though it may be embarrassed to do so, rather than attempting to create a new paper trail in hopes of protecting itself against future lawsuits and public criticism by the Syracuse community.”
Published on July 9, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum
