SYRACUSE, N.Y. (CN) - The wife of former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine claims in court that ESPN used a doctored phone call recording to build a sex abuse case against her husband.
She says ESPN "spitefully destroyed (her) reputation in an attempt to capitalize financially in the tragic wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal."
Laurie Fine, the only plaintiff in the federal complaint, sued ESPN, a Disney subsidiary, and its reporters Mark Schwarz and Arthur Berko.
She claims the defendants falsely accused her of, among other things: "creating a space in which children could be sexually molested in secret;
"Witnessing her husband sexually molest children, but not doing anything to stop it;"
"Knowingly permitting the sexual molestation of children in her home;
"Telling Robert Davis that she knew her husband was sexually molesting him;
"Having adulterous sex with Robert Davis while he was still in high school; ... [and]
"Having adulterous and dysfunctional sexual relationships with Syracuse basketball team players over the course of many years."
The 48-page complaint revolves around Davis, who was a Syracuse ball boy when the Fine family took him into their home and, Fine says, "treated - and held him accountable - as if her were their own teenage son."
She says that when Davis got into college, he "responded poorly to being financially cut off by the Fines."
The complaint continues: "Davis regularly tricked the Fines into giving him money.
"On at least three occasions, Davis tricked Bernie into giving him money to pay off unpaid student loans. Bernie gave Davis at least $5,000 to pay off these loans.
However, these loans did not exist.
"Bernie refused to accept his failure to turn around Davis' troubled youth.
"Davis fabricated countless stories in order to gain the Fines' sympathy and justify his requests for money.
"One particular story set Laurie off.
"One day, Davis called Laurie and told her that Bernie sexually abused him while living in the Fine's home during the mid-1980's.
"Laurie 'went off' on Davis, because Davis finally crossed the line.
"Bernie assured Laurie that it was just another one of Davis' fabricated stories.
"Although they agreed that Davis crossed the line in privately and falsely accusing Bernie of sexual abuse, the Fines were still in denial about their inability to better help Davis.
"Therefore, the Fines agreed not to 'go off' on Davis in the future, because Davis was still just a young man in serious need of mental help and support.
"Davis continued calling Laurie with various stories designed to win her family's sympathy and justify his habitual requests for money.
"When Davis was desperate, he would bring up his false accusations against Bernie.
"However, in light of their agreement not to 'go off' on Davis, Laurie would patiently suffer Davis' vilification of her husband with the hope that Davis would eventually outgrow the lies and his dependency upon her family for financial support.
"Laurie occasionally tested Davis' various stories by asking him specific questions - questions intended to see just how far Davis was willing to let his lies go.