SYRACUSE -- A Syracuse University special committee reviewing the school's response to the Bernie Fine investigation has released its findings.
It looked at the University's actions after Bobby Davis came forward with allegations of sexual abuse in 2005.
Read the full report
The committee says the school and law-firm Bond, Schoeneck, and King, which investigated the claims, made mistakes by treating the allegations as a human resource problem instead of a criminal matter.
"The conduct alleged involved the repeated sexual exploitation of a child. Treating the matter solely as a human resources issue understated its seriousness and underestimated the risk to the University and to potential victims."
Committee members also say the police should have been contacted by Syracuse University and lawyers from Bond, Schoeneck and King.
The lawyers should have recognized that the University’s receipt of detailed and specific allegations of serious felony offenses committed by an employee merited reporting to the authorities irrespective of whatever Davis had done on his own.
In the 52-page report the committee also makes several recommendations for Syracuse University.
Among them, it recommends reviewing policies where adults and children interact at school related events.
It also recommends that SU review how it handles personnel matters that could also be considered criminal.
It recommends reviewing how it trains faculty and staff in these types of problems.
The final line of the report says "Perhaps one lesson to be taken from these events is that there are times when collaboration and communication are also necessary."
Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor issued a statement Thursday afternoon.
In November, Davis made public claims of sexual molestation against former SU assistant coach Bernie Fine.
Davis said the abuse happened for years while he was a ball boy for the SU men’s basketball team. Fine has denied the allegations and has not been charged with any crimes.
