Lawyers involved in the defamation case against Jim Boeheim and Syracuse University will argue to move the venue of the lawsuit from New York City to Syracuse during a hearing Tuesday morning.

Attorneys for stepbrothers Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, the first two men to accuse former associate men’s basketball coach Bernie Fine of molesting them, will contend that an impartial jury cannot be found in Syracuse due to the community’s obsession with SU basketball and the university.

State Supreme Court Justice Brian DeJoseph will hear the 10 a.m. case Tuesday at the Onondaga County Courthouse, according to an article published in The Post-Standard on Monday. DeJoseph could rule on the issue at the hearing or choose to reserve his decision.

Davis and Lang, both former SU ball boys, filed the defamation suit against the university and Boeheim in late December. The lawsuit claimed Boeheim defamed Davis and Lang when he publicly stated they were lying about being sexually abused by Fine. Boeheim later apologized for these comments.

Gloria Allred, the high-profile attorney who represents Davis and Lang, declined to comment.

Fine, who was fired from the university Nov. 27, has denied the allegations and has not been charged. Federal agents continue to investigate.

egsawyer@syr.edu

—Asst. News Editor Marwa Eltagouri contributed reporting to this article. 

Published on February 20, 2012 at 12:00 pm