When Gloria Allred gets involved, you know it's high profile. The lawyer who has represented Nicole Brown Simpson's family, Tiger Woods' mistress Rachel Uchitel and one of Herman Cain's sexual harassment accusers will be representing Bobby Davis and Mike Lang in a lawsuit against Syracuse University.
Allred will hold a news conference announcing the suit at 2 p.m. today at the Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel in New York City. The suit will be filed on behalf of Bobby Davis and his step-brother, Michael Lang, who say that Fine abused them. According to a news release from Allred's office, Davis and Lang will be at the news conference to "explain why they feel it is necessary to file a lawsuit at this time."
ESPN is reporting that Jim Boeheim will be named in the suit, as well. The irony of that given Boeheim's initial comments are not lost on anyone.
It's unclear if Bernie Fine himself is involved in the lawsuit, though you'd think that would have been mentioned upfront.
This move is not going to assuage critics who have said that Davis and Lang are doing this for the money. It will be interesting to see how they try and nip that in the bud up front.
Here's what ESPN said in November 29th article on Davis and Lang:
Davis cannot reap much from his story. Despite Boeheim's assertion that he is doing it for the money, the statute of limitations has run out on any criminal charges, making a civil suit more difficult to file. As for looking for hush money, that ship sailed long ago.
"I want to know for sure that he's not doing it to any other kids," Davis says.
Davis did say in his initial account of the abuse that Jim Boeheim was aware that he was alone with Fine in Fine's hotel room. Boeheim has adamantly denied that.
Allred has a history of taking cases that deal with women's rights, though many of her recent cases have been sexual abuse-related.
Zach Tomaselli has also filed a lawsuit, though that one is specifically against Bernie Fine and does not involve SU or Boeheim.