Syracuse Fires Associate Coach Bernie Fine As Sex Scandal Claims Escalate

Syracuse University has officially fired associate head basketball coach Bernie Fine as reports of child molestation continue to mount.

In a statement to the press the school’s senior vice president for public affairs said:

“At the direction of Chancellor Cantor, Bernie Fine’s employment with Syracuse University has been terminated, effective immediately.”

Fine, 65, has been with the school for 36 seasons, giving him the longest active streak for consecutive seasons at a single Division I school.

Fine has been accused of prior molestation by three men, accusations that originally placed the coach on administrative leave while an investigation was started.

Speaking about the allegations Fine called the claims “patently false.”

Early today I reported that a third man, Zach Tomaselli, 23, had come forward to say he was molested by the coach in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2002. Tomaselli had traveled to the game with the coach 9 years ago with the encouragement of his father, a friend of Fine’s.

I tried to reach out to Fine this morning with no success, later in the day his attorneys Donald Martin and Karl Sleight released the following statement:

“Any comment from him would only invite and perpetuate ancient and suspect claims,” and “Mr. Fine remains hopeful of a credible and expeditious review of the relevant issues by law enforcement authorities.”

Do you think the school reacted in the correct manner by firing Bernie Fine before an official investigation was completed or should he have been placed on administrative leave indefinitely until his case comes to a close?