Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross

Better Orgasms. Better World.

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I graduated from Syracuse University. You can imagine my dismay, when Sunday night, I received an email from the Chancellor. She said she had fired long time assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine.

The reason? Child abuse allegations from three men who claim that Fine molested them as children. Not surprisingly, Fine has denied the accusations. However, it was the third man coming forward that prompted police to search Fine’s home this weekend for evidence.

I’m glad the Chancellor took immediate action. It is warranted.

What makes these types of crimes against children so egregious is that they happen behind the good name of a university - like Penn State or SU - which are implicitly expected to maintain a safe space for children to learn in. And that is exactly why men like Fine and Sandusky are able to hide their activities in plain sight. They can abuse behind the squeaky clean, power-machine of a great sports university. They start to believe they can’t be touched. And for both of these men, for a very long time, that was true. 

Here’s the problem: rape accusations, especially from children, are treated like second class crimes because they are difficult to prove and prosecute. The only reason the Syracuse case is coming to light is because that young man made a tape recording of the conversation that he had with Fine’s wife - in which she admitted to knowing "everything that went on." He turned that tape over to the Syracuse University police department, and to ESPN who, this weekend, broke the story.

Child abuse cases and rape cases are often given to rookie detectives because they lack hard evidence, and are so often a case of he said/she said. Little kid vs. big, well known, respected, vaunted, authority figure. No blood, bullets, or broken bones. No CSI-like story lines. Just massive emotional trauma. More experienced detectives don’t want the trouble.

But why Syracuse, and why now?

Because abused and molested children often feel powerless, frozen, empty, ashamed - alone in their pain. They feel helpless to fight against their power wielding abusers. However, when the Penn State story broke, making national news and bringing down a sports dynasty, helpless and hopeless men suddenly believed they too had a chance against a Goliath.

It takes time, perhaps decades, for a young boy to feel safe enough within himself, and gain the strength needed to look a molester in the eye - withstand the pressure - and say unflinchingly “you did this to me.”

As details continue to emerge from the Penn State, Syracuse University debacle, there may be further cases emerging over the coming months, as those who have been shamed into silence realize that somebody, somewhere, is willing to take their somber story seriously.