In a 30-page decision released Friday by judge Brian DeJoseph, the defamation suit against Syracuse University and its men's basketball head coach was dropped.
The lawsuit, led by Gloria Allred on behalf of Bobby Lang and Mike Davis, accused the University and Boeheim of slandering the two men in their response to accusations they made stating that Bernie Fine sexually abused them as children. DeJoseph's decision stated that because Boeheim's comment suggesting the men were making the accusations in pursuit of money was an opinion, rather than a statement of fact, that he and SU were protected from such a lawsuit going any further.
Allred said she plans on appealing the decision, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard.
If such an appeal does not happen, then an ongoing federal investigaton would be the only active legal action surrounding the Bernie Fine controversy. Fine was fired Nov. 27 after a conversation between Bobby Davis and Fine's wife, Laurie, discussing Davis's molestation was released.
Though Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said he would have been comfortable taking Fine to court on the alleged molestations, the New York statute of limitations had already expired.
Serving daily drops of fresh campus news. This Juice is produced by The NewsHouse staffers.
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