Davis/Laurie Fine tape-recorded conversation alluded to Laurie Fine’s knowledge of a sexual relationship between Bernie Fine and Bobby Davis, and if the tape was authentic and not contrived—matters about which we express no opinion—it would have provided at least some “substantiation” for Davis’s claims that BSK otherwise found lacking. When Chancellor Cantor became aware of the existence and contents of the tape recording in 2011, she decided to fire Bernie Fine immediately. However, no one—including Davis himself or anyone associated with the press, which evidently had possession of the tape recording— brought the existence of the tape recording to the University’s attention between the time it was made in 2002 and the time its existence was revealed publicly in late 2011. Davis later signed a witness statement broadly summarizing what he said at his interview about Bernie Fine’s abuse of him. The signed statement, however, did not include all of the details that Davis provided to Jones and Autrey at the interview. Notes taken by Jones and Autrey reflect that, during the interview, Davis reported that Laurie Fine had had sex with unnamed members of the Syracuse Men’s Basketball team, and that Laurie Fine had slept with Lang and had tried to sleep with Davis.9 In a subsequent phone call, Davis told Jones that in fact he had slept with Laurie Fine. This information was not included in the final investigation report given to the Chancellor. Although Jones had a few additional telephone conversations with Davis over the next three months, the September 16, 2005 meeting was the only in-person meeting between Davis and either BSK or other University representatives, and the only occasion on which Davis was asked to provide details regarding Bernie Fine’s alleged abuse of him. 9
These allegations were recently made public in the context of a civil defamation lawsuit brought by Davis and Lang against the University and Coach Boeheim. Laurie Fine has denied them in the context of her separate lawsuit against ESPN. As with allegations regarding Bernie Fine, the Special Committee was not charged with reaching any conclusion as to the truth or falsity of the allegations relating to Laurie Fine, and we express no view on those allegations.
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