Syracuse Fires Assistant Basketball Coach

(Kevin Rivoli, AP)

In the wake of child molestation allegations Syracuse University fired Bernie Fine on Sunday night after a third man has come forward accusing Fine of molesting him for nine years.  Bernie Fine had been with Syracuse basketball coaching staff since 1976 when he was brought on as the assistant coach by the current head coach Jim Boeheim.  Boeheim stated that he supported the decision of the university, this coming a week after he publicly stated that the accusers were lying and the accusations were an attempt to receive money.

"I am personally very shocked because I have never witnessed any of the activities that have been alleged." -Jim Boeheim

Allegations against Fine were first reported on November 17th by two former Syracuse ball boys, stepbrothers Bobby Davis and Mike Lang.  Davis, now 39, said that Fine began molesting him in 1984 and Lang, now 45, stated that Fine began molesting him when he was in the 5th or 6th grade.  The 3rd accuser Tomaselli stated that the allegations against Penn State's former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky prompted him to come forward about Fine.

As allegations continue to come out individuals are trying to compare the Penn State Scandal to the Syracuse Scandal but they are 1 and the same as well as completely different. The allegations against Fine and Sandusky are the same but the situations are completely different.  In the Syracuse scandal there are no eye witnesses and no signs of a cover up by the university like the situation at Penn State where it has been alleged that several people at Penn State knew of the allegations against Sandusky including head coach Joe Paterno, whom was later fired due to the scandal.

Stay tuned to see how things turn out.  I pray for all victims involved in both the Penn State and Syracuse scandal.  They're both horrible situations all away around.