Bernie Fine

[dollarbill44]

For him to not be charged criminally or in a civil matter and then go completely radio silent is odd to me. He must have zero pride if he didn’t want to clear his name. My working theory was he had a legit wrongful termination lawsuit that was settled bc he was wrongly outed as a gay man and fired for such .

it’s certainly an odd chapter for Boeheim and the school

edit: just read the statute so that explains that. Thank you

Wait, are you actually suggesting SU fired Bernie because he was a gay man?
I don't think so.
He was fired because of the horrendously negative publicity the case was bringing to SU, who was forced to publicly separate from him to limit the PR damage. His lawsuit was likely because he wasn't given due process (a luxury SU couldn't afford given the post-Sandusky, Salem Witch Trial atmosphere at the time - this context cannot be ignored). The suit may have also alleged that it was because he was gay because lawyers throw as much S... at the wall as they can and try to make it stick later if they're being contested.
SU likely expected a wrongful termination suit but knew it would be cheaper in the long run than the firestorm that would have hit for not terminating him immediately.

 

[orangenauburn]

Two step-brothers and two others alleged that Fine had molested them years earlier. The two others later recanted, and admitted that they had fabricated their stories. In 2012, after an investigation federal prosecutors announced Fine would not be charged.[5]
In November 2011 two step-brothers who were former Syracuse University ball boys alleged on ESPN's Outside the Lines program that they had been molested by Fine from the late 1970s to the 1990s.[5] Fine and head men's basketball coach Boeheim denied the charges. Because the incidents occurred over 10 years prior, District Attorney William Fitzpatrick indicated that the statute of limitations would probably bar any prosecution.[6] Syracuse University placed Fine on administrative leave and said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.[7][8]
Subsequently, a third and then a fourth person claimed to have been molested by Fine in 2002 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The United States Secret Service searched Fine's house and seized file cabinets, computers, and other potential evidence.[9] The investigation included more than 150 interviews with 130 witnesses, and a review of more than 100,000 pages of documents that included emails, travel records, financial records, computer records, and phone records.[5]
On November 27, 2011, Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor fired Fine in response to the allegations.[10] Cantor said she made her decision after ESPN released a tape of a 2002 phone conversation between one of the former ballboys, Bobby Davis, and Fine's wife Laurie. In the tape, Laurie claimed she knew about her husband's behavior, but felt powerless to stop it.[10] In response to a USA Today editorial calling for an explanation for why it kept Fine on the job in 2005, Cantor said that had Syracuse known about the tape at any point prior to November 27, Fine would have been fired on the spot.[11]
On April 13, 2012, one of Fine's accusers said he "fabricated everything" and had never even met Fine.[12]
Ultimately, two of his accusers, Zach Tomaselli (who was serving a 39-month prison sentence for molesting a teenage boy, and who admitted he lied about Fine partly as payback for SU beating Tomaselli's favorite team, Kansas, for the national title in 2003) and Floyd Van Hooser (who was serving 17 years to life in state prison for repeated robberies), admitted that they lied when they made child-molesting claims against Fine.[5][13]
On November 9, 2012, federal prosecutors announced Fine would not be charged regarding the criminal investigation of child molesting accusations.[14] Nevertheless, the case cost Fine his job, turned him into a recluse, and forced him to put his house up for sale.[5]
It was announced on March 29, 2013, that Fine intended to file a defamation of character suit against ESPN in regard to how it handled the story.[15] During the lawsuit, it was discovered that two ESPN executives (including the editor-in-chief of ESPN) "criticized the network’s reporting on the story and said it went against ESPN’s internal guidelines" in publicizing uncharged claims.[16] In March 2016, a federal judge dismissed a libel lawsuit filed by Fine's wife, Laurie, against ESPN over the television network's reporting.[17]
From Wikipedia

 

[orangenauburn]

The school fired him because more accusations came about

But those accusers later admitted to lying

 

[Townie72]

We could burn him at the stake, if Clintons got Epstein killed, why cant someone get Sandusky "hung"

The scary part of this that I have read stuff by posters on here that suggest they would be more than glad to strike the match to light the fire.

 

[SUGIANT]

When you talk to people Boeheim is guilty of all NCAA violations, his program is dirty and anything that goes wrong at SU it’s his fault so people dislike him. That’s for people that don’t know or have no allegiance to SU. People that do think SU should have been completely exonerated on everything. Objectively there’s probably some guilt there. If Fine did nothing than I think his name would have been completely cleared. I personally don’t have any idea. But I see it like complaining about the refs, SU glasses always thinks they got screwed.

 

[jgeorge322]

Yall are mixing up civil and criminal sol. There is no sol in ny for 1st degree rape.

 

[elimunelson]

When you talk to people Boeheim is guilty of all NCAA violations, his program is dirty and anything that goes wrong at SU it’s his fault so people dislike him. That’s for people that don’t know or have no allegiance to SU. People that do think SU should have been completely exonerated on everything. Objectively there’s probably some guilt there. If Fine did nothing than I think his name would have been completely cleared. I personally don’t have any idea. But I see it like complaining about the refs, SU glasses always thinks they got screwed.

Laurie Fines voicemail was very odd and probably the weirdest part of the entire situation. She didn’t seem to be a normal person.

 

[elimunelson]

Wait, are you actually suggesting SU fired Bernie because he was a gay man?
I don't think so.
He was fired because of the horrendously negative publicity the case was bringing to SU, who was forced to publicly separate from him to limit the PR damage. His lawsuit was likely because he wasn't given due process (a luxury SU couldn't afford given the post-Sandusky, Salem Witch Trial atmosphere at the time - this context cannot be ignored). The suit may have also alleged that it was because he was gay because lawyers throw as much S... at the wall as they can and try to make it stick later if they're being contested.
SU likely expected a wrongful termination suit but knew it would be cheaper in the long run than the firestorm that would have hit for not terminating him immediately.

no I do not think they fired him because he was gay. I think Bernie was outed prematurely and if zero of the accusations stuck or were even valid(that wiki posting mentions 2 accusers blatantly lied) then he was fired for...what? Due process was thrown into away here ultimately and the school had to do the right thing and I’m sure bernies lawyers argued the gay aspect to this.

always wonder if Boeheim has spoken to him at all in 8 years? If there is nothing there (or nothing criminal) if Boeheim was loyal during the crisis for Bernie was he loyal when everyone ran for the hills? The players spoke up for him very vocally so I wonder same for them

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Wait, are you actually suggesting SU fired Bernie because he was a gay man?
I don't think so.
He was fired because of the horrendously negative publicity the case was bringing to SU, who was forced to publicly separate from him to limit the PR damage. His lawsuit was likely because he wasn't given due process (a luxury SU couldn't afford given the post-Sandusky, Salem Witch Trial atmosphere at the time - this context cannot be ignored). The suit may have also alleged that it was because he was gay because lawyers throw as much S... at the wall as they can and try to make it stick later if they're being contested.
SU likely expected a wrongful termination suit but knew it would be cheaper in the long run than the firestorm that would have hit for not terminating him immediately.

I am sure SU paid off his contract, and therefore he had no damages. He was fired for being accusser of a crime: that happens all of the time. The only due process he was owed is what is in the SU AD employment handbook.

 

[Townie72]

Laurie Fines voicemail was very odd and probably the weirdest part of the entire situation. She didn’t seem to be a normal person.

That was my take-away on the whole mess. I wasn’t sure who did what or who was telling the truth.

But I did come to the conclusion that Laurie Fine was a very strange person and that if Bernie was involved or facilitated that, then he must be a little off center too.

 

[shu 49]

From my perspective it was a money grab situation. One of the guys had his son go to su basketball camp ran bye Bernie. Now if I was a grown adult that that happened to which it wouldn’t but say it did would u bring your son to the same camp. Would u have Bernie get u seats behind bench for years. I could go on and on. Maybe they had a guy guy thing but don’t tell me Bernie made u do it. Have u seen him it’s not like he is 6’4” at 300. He probably couldn’t make his wife do anything ya know.su had to do what they did. Them kids screwed Bernie over bad and I hope carma gets them back. I know the local guy lost his business ad was a heavy drinker.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Just remember, there was not one credible accusation (those guys were not credible, despite Fitzpatrick's grandstanding, split the baby, quotes) of wrong doing against Bernie Fine and despite all of the press, no one else came forward or has come forward. No one.
People who commit such crimes are serial opportunists. (Sandusky).
I have concluded (long ago) that Bernie did nothing illegal, and what happened to him was a shame.
I have also concluded that everyone should have a friend like James Arthur Boeheim.

 

[maxxyz]

While I didn’t find the two accusers credible and I felt Gloria Allred was grandstanding with little evidence, Bernie’s running of the ball boy list had all the trademarks of a grooming mill for nefarious purposes. It looked really bad.

And ESPN, who missed out on all the Sandusky sensation, jumped at a chance to break a story.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

It was a complete set up. If there was anything tangible he and we would have been nailed to the cross. It dropped at the worst time months after Ped St scandal broke. I think since Bernie was ‘guilty’ of being gay there’s no apology or anything coming to him like there should be.

 

[Fat tire 13]

I have a friend at a major network (not ESPN) who did a ton of work investigating this entire situation. He went to Cuse, interviewed people, etc. Their plan was to run a major story, but then it got canned because they didn't believe there was enough concrete evidence. Just some food for thought...

 

[Col. Bleep]

Every couple of years for some reason the Bernie Fine saga comes up again...almost as if it's brand new.

So, a few points.

1. He was fired almost immediately after that Laurie Fine audio tape became public. Fired even though Bernie's voice was not on the tape. Why?
What happened to thoroughly investigating before acting, as the university essentially said it would do?

Syracuse coach Fine denies abuse allegations

Syracuse associate men's basketball coach Bernie Fine, accused by two former ball boys of molesting them over a 16-year period, strongly denied the allegations Friday in a statement released by his lawyer.

www.espn.com

2. Bernie Fine made what can be described as a token effort to clear his name...filing a lawsuit. Then he gave he gave up. Why?
Is that rational behavior (notwithstanding the expense) for a supposedly innocent man whose life essentially was ruined?

3. The Secret Service (which has concurrent jurisdiction with the FBI over some computer and other crimes) executed a search warrant and seized Fine's computer(s) and other material. Why?
A reasonable inference is that they were looking for evidence on the computer of these alleged sex crimes and possibly others.

4. SU supposedly investigated Fine after a Davis complaint in 2005. They had him on audio tape. The tape was nowhere to be found. Why?
At the very least it is an indication of how little concern the university had about the initial complaints and how poor its record keeping was.
It also opens the door to more nefarious explanations.


5. As for Van Hooser, Bernie Fine was communicating with him and paid him. Why?
"(Secret Service Special Agent Alexander) Brown’s affidavit said that, in the search of Fine’s home, agents found “some correspondence from Floyd Van Hooser and a check written from Fine to Van Hooser.”

Bernie Fine investigation ends with no charges against fired SU coach

Prosecutors say more than 130 witnesses were interviewed in year-long investigation of four men's accusations that the fired SU coach molested them as children.

www.syracuse.com

6. Boeheim settled the defamation suit for his comments that the accusers must be lying. We know why.
He had to make it go away and SU may have paid the freight.
BUT...the trial judge initially tossed out the lawsuit.
He was probably right.
Boeheim's comment was an honest expression that anyone shocked by allegations against a longtime friend would make. It should have stood as opinion.

7. We should have learned at least one thing from the Harvey Weinstein case. That is, sex abuse victims don't always speak or act in the way we think they should. They may maintain contact with their abusers and may even deny the abuse for some time.