ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York’s top court has agreed to hear an appeal from two former Syracuse University basketball ball boys to reinstate their slander lawsuit against the school and head coach Jim Boeheim (BAY’-hym).
Bobby Davis and Mike Lang claim Boeheim slandered them in November 2011 when he called them liars out for money when they accused assistant coach Bernie Fine of molesting them as children.
A trial-level court threw out the lawsuit last year, ruling that Boeheim’s comments were not statements of fact but opinions protected from defamation lawsuits.
The midlevel Appellate Division affirmed that ruling last October in a 3-2 decision.
Fine has denied the allegations and never faced criminal charges.
The Court of Appeals has scheduled arguments for Sept. 9.
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