ESPN has filed a motion to dismiss Laurie Fine’s libel lawsuit regarding its reporting of sexual abuse allegations against her husband, former men’s basketball associate head coach Bernie Fine.

The motion is scheduled to be heard Sept. 7 by senior judge Lawrence E. Kahn in Albany, according to a July 27 article published by The Post-Standard.

The lawsuit specifically addresses broadcasts and written stories regarding a secretly taped conversation between Fine and accuser Bobby Davis. In the motion, ESPN stands by its reporting regarding the telephone conversation taped by Davis.

Fine and her lawyer, Lawrence Fisher, said publication of the full conversation would indicate she was defending her husband, not incriminating him. But ESPN argues that additional excerpts from the full conversation bode even worse for Fine.

Included in the tape’s transcript are conversations in which Davis claims to be describing how Bernie Fine molested him and Laurie Fine did not protest the actions.

Fine’s lawsuit, which was announced at a press conference in May, was filed against ESPN and reporters Mark Schwarz and Arty Berko. Fine said their reporting damaged her reputation.

Bernie Fine was fired by Syracuse University on Nov. 27. Fine has denied all allegations and has not been charged.