A lawyer for the wife of a former Syracuse University associate basketball coach fired amid sexual abuse allegations has filed a motion requesting the school turn over more documents to help in her lawsuit against ESPN Inc.

In the 32-page motion, filed Saturday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, Laurie Fine’s attorney requests that Syracuse University be compelled to provide 133 documents related to the sexual abuse allegations against her husband, Bernie Fine. These documents range from emails about the original 2005 investigation into the allegations to the drafts of statements given by his accusers.

The request is part of Laurie Fine’s defamation lawsuit against ESPN, producer Arty Berko and reporter Mark Schwarz, which was initially filed in May 2012. A hearing on the motion has been set for Sept. 30 before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Peebles, who is being asked to review individual documents identified in the filing.

If granted, the documents would not necessarily be available to the public, unless, for example, the lawsuit went to trial.

Bernie Fine, the former SU associate head men’s basketball coach, was fired from SU on Nov. 27, 2011. He denied all wrongdoing and was not charged after an almost yearlong federal investigation.

SU has already provided some documents and is not being sued in this lawsuit. The university has until Sept. 15 to file a reply. A judge originally granted a subpoena for documents on Dec. 4, 2012.

Lawrence Fisher, Laurie Fine’s attorney, declined to be interviewed. SU attorney Miranda Turner did not return aphone call and email on Tuesday afternoon. Kevin Quinn, SU’s senior vice president for public affairs, said the university believes the documents are protected under attorney-client privilege.

Laurie Fine’s lawsuit against ESPN Inc. is one of two legal matters remaining from the fallout of the sexual abuse allegations. On Tuesday, New York state’s high court will hear oral arguments in a defamation case against SU and head men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim.

Published on September 3, 2014 at 10:29 am

Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum