Indiana Basketball Doctor: Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Former Indiana Basketball Players Allege Sexual Misconduct against Team Doctor
at least 15 former Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball players have accused a former team physician of sexual misconduct, according to an ESPN report. the allegations stem from incidents that allegedly occurred during his tenure.
Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller initiated a class-action lawsuit against Indiana in October 2024. Now, five former athletes are named in the suit, with 10 additional men planning legal action against the university.The lawsuit centers on claims against Dr. Bradford Bomba, who served as the team’s lead physician for nearly 30 years, ending in the late 1990s. Bomba died last month at 89.
The former players allege that Bomba regularly performed rectal exams during physicals, despite medical guidelines advising against such exams for college-aged men. They contend these exams constituted sexual misconduct. The lawsuit further alleges that university officials, including former coach Bob Knight, were aware of the situation but failed to intervene.Knight died in 2023.
Players claim they complained about the exams, with some requesting a different physician.However,they allege that Knight and head athletic trainer Tim Garl mandated that players see Bomba. Butch Carter, a former Indiana player who later played and coached in the NBA, stated in a letter included in the lawsuit that he complained multiple times to Knight about Bomba’s “abusive behavior during physical examinations.” Carter is not a plaintiff but provided a sworn statement.
Players allege that they complained about the exams, and some said they asked to see a different physician. But they said Knight and head athletic trainer Tim Garl ordered players to see Bomba nonetheless. Butch Carter, who played at Indiana in the late 1970s and went on to play and coach in the NBA, wrote in a letter included in the lawsuit that he told Knight he never wanted to see Bomba again for medical care and that he “complained multiple times” to Knight about the doctor’s “abusive behavior during physical examinations.” Carter is not a plaintiff but gave a sworn statement describing his own interactions with Bomba.
Indiana launched an investigation, and an outside law firm concluded that Bomba’s exams were “clinically appropriate.” The firm also found no evidence that Bomba ”achieved sexual gratification” from performing the exams. The university argues that the former athletes’ claims are invalid because they fall outside Indiana’s two-year statute of limitations for civil sexual assault lawsuits.
What’s next
The lawsuit against Indiana University regarding the alleged sexual misconduct by the former team doctor is ongoing. The court will likely address the university’s statute of limitations defense, and further legal proceedings are expected.