Laurie Fine announced Wednesday morning that she is suing ESPN for libel pertaining to the network’s reporting of molestation allegations against her husband, former Syracuse University associate men’s basketball coach Bernie Fine.

Laurie Fine accuses ESPN reporter Mark Schwarz and producer Arthur Berko of ruining her reputation by ‘maliciously publishing false and defamatory factual accusations,’ according to the 44-page lawsuit.

Fine held a news conference at the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, N.Y., at 11 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the lawsuit alongside her lawyer, Lawrence Fisher, of Pittsburgh. The lawsuit states that ESPN published defamatory information about Fine, including that she knew her husband was sexually abusing Bobby Davis and did nothing to stop it.

‘Laurie was a person I talked to a lot about this situation as I got older,’ Davis said in an interview with ESPN. ‘And she was there a lot of the times, and had seen a lot of the things that were going on when Bernie would come down to the basement in his house at night.’

Bobby Davis and Mike Lang accused Bernie Fine of molesting them while they were ball boys at SU. Fine has denied all allegations and has not been charged.

David Scott, director of communications at ESPN, said in a statement that the suit is without merit.

‘We stand by our reporting,’ he said in the statement.

The lawsuit claims ESPN’s coverage was libelous because Fine’s husband never sexually abused Davis, and has not been charged with ‘any crime in connection with any accusation made pursuant to Defendants’ coverage of Davis’ story.’ ESPN’s coverage was also false, according to the lawsuit, because Fine never witnessed sexual abuse in her home.

In November, ESPN released a recording of a 2002 phone call between Fine and Davis, which Davis secretly taped. In the recording, Fine admitted concerns about her husband and did not deny Davis’ allegations that her husband molested him.

The lawsuit states the tape was ‘admittedly doctored, substantially inaudible, and entirely speculative,’ and that the statements were taken out of context on the tape.

Other libelous statements, according to the lawsuit, include those suggesting that Laurie Fine had sexual relations with Davis, that she created ‘a space in her home where children could be sexually molested in secret,’ that she slept with SU basketball players and she betrayed Davis’s trust by not protecting him from being sexually molested.

Laurie Fine had never had a sexual relationship of any kind with any player on the basketball team, according to the lawsuit.

‘No current or former player has stepped forward, or been produced by Defendants, claiming otherwise,’ according to the lawsuit.

Laurie Fine’s reputation has been permanently damaged; she has suffered physical consequences from stress and emotional distress and is now unable to obtain gainful employment as a result of the libelous statements, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit further alleges that Laurie Fine has been forced to sell her home in order to escape the aftermath of the libelous statements and that her husband has already left the state for the same reason.

jliannet@syr.edu

To view a copy of the lawsuit, click here.

Published on May 16, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta