Bernie Fine Suing ESPN For $11M

((HT: CNYCentral))

The HQ knew this was coming, but not just how much of it was coming... according to papers filed in the United States District Court in Syracuse.

Attorneys for ESPN have moved the defamation case to Federal Court that was brought forward by the ex-Syracuse assistant basketball coach. Mark Schwarz and his producer, and the parent companies of ESPN- Walt Disney and Hearst- have all been removed as defendants in the Bobby Davis stories that aired...

A U.S. Magistrate has scheduled a court hearing for July 18th where a schedule will be drawn up...

Fine is claiming ESPN defamed him in November of 2011 when it reported on accusations by former team ball boy Bobby Davis that Fine has sexually abused Davis. Others came forward to pile on, but statutes of limitations were challenged and so were the alleged victims and their recollections...

The case outline is hyah...

Bobby Davis and Mike Lang are also suing Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim for slander for remarks he made in November 2011 when he called them "liars out for money" when they accused Fine of molesting them. The case is under appeal...

Here was the story when it initially broke:
((HT: ESPN))

And In Other Legal News... It's Civil, But Not In Syracuse

((HT: WSYR-TV))

Former Syracuse ball boys Bobby Davis and Mike Lang maintain they were molested by former assistant coach Bernie Fine. Davis and Lang are now in the process of suing Syracuse University as a civil matter.

Fine denies the allegations, but now a third man has come forward and accused Fine of the same thing.

Davis and Lang have hired attorney Gloria Allred, and at her first press conference, she said that the two men have filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court.

Davis says "it really hurt me to learn coach Boeheim had accused me of lying."

Lang says when Boeheim suggested "my little brother and I were lying" he "felt sick to my stomach... coming forward is one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life."

More when we know more...