Fine allegations : Lawyers of Davis, Lang continue to push defamation suit
The slander suit against Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim should move forward, a lawyer representing two former ball boys argued Wednesday.
Mariann Meier Wang filed papers in response to an earlier request by Boeheim’s lawyers, saying the case deserves to go to court, according to an article published online by The Post-Standard on Thursday. Both sides are scheduled to make their cases April 27 before New York Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph.
Boeheim called the former ball boys, Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, liars and said they were trying to gain money after accusing former associate head coach Bernie Fine of molesting them.
Fine has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged.
Boeheim apologized 10 days after his remarks, but Davis and Lang have since sued Syracuse University and the head coach for defamation. Boeheim’s lawyers filed papers March 13 saying his original statements were hyperbolic and sarcastic opinions protected by the state and federal constitutions. As a result, his lawyers requested the slander suit be dismissed.
In the papers filed Wednesday, Wang wrote that Boeheim’s statements were hurtful to Davis and Lang and affected other sexual abuse victims as well.
‘Boeheim’s statements not only harmed Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, they also no doubt had a substantial chilling effect on other victims of sexual abuse who already face so many obstacles to reporting,’ Wang wrote, according to the article.
In an affidavit included in the court filings, Davis wrote that Boeheim’s comments have caused ‘tremendous emotional and financial harm’ to him and Lang because of his status in the Syracuse community.
‘Having someone like Jim Boeheim, who everyone in Syracuse seems to hold up as a god, immediately come out and make false statements … has been extraordinarily painful and has brought both a new, added layer of fear and shame and revived my old feelings of profound guilt and anxiety,’ Davis wrote, according to the article.
Published on April 12, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu
