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Men's Basketball

Syracuse University announces that defamation lawsuit against Jim Boeheim has been settled

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Syracuse University and Jim Boeheim settled the defamation lawsuit filed by Michael Lang and Bobby Davis

Men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University have settled the defamation lawsuit filed by Michael Lang and Bobby Davis, SU announced in a release on Thursday. The terms of the agreement will not be released, a university spokesman said.

In 2011, Lang and Davis accused Bernie Fine of sexually abusing them while they were ball boys in the 1980s and 90s. Boeheim called them liars who were out to get money, which led to the lawsuit.

“Coach Boeheim regrets that he made those statements and that he questioned the integrity of Bobby Davis and Michael Lang,” the release said. “Since then, he has publicly committed to focus his charitable efforts on providing assistance to victims of sexual abuse, which he continues to do.”

Following the accusations, Fine was immediately placed on leave and eventually fired. Fine has denied all wrongdoing and was not charged following an almost yearlong federal investigation.

In a statement, Lang and Davis said they are glad that the case has settled.



“We have always sought above all to ensure that those who suffer the kind of childhood sexual abuse that we did, feel unafraid to report it and to speak about it,” Lang and Davis said in the statement.





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