Law firm's probe suggests no special treatment for Indiana basketball compared to other sports

Indianapolis Star

01-05-2025

A sexual conduct investigation into former IU basketball team physician Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. led to recommendations for the program and IU athletics from law firm Jones Day.
Among them was specialized treatment for the men's basketball program that other student athletes did not receive should stop.
BLOOMINGTON — While a report released Thursday did not find evidence of sexual misconduct on the part of former Indiana basketball team physician Brad Bomba Sr., it did set out a series of recommendations for IU's athletic department to consider implementing moving forward.
Multiple former IU men's basketball players came forward across a series of public statements or legal actions in 2024, accusing Bomba — who served as IU's team physician for much of Bob Knight's tenure — of misconduct regarding digital rectal examinations (DREs). In response, the university engaged law firm Jones Day to conduct an independent review of the allegations.
Jones Day's report, released Thursday morning, concluded in part that Bomba 'conducted these examinations in a clinically appropriate manner,' and stated Jones Day 'uncovered no evidence to suggests that Dr. Bomba obtained sexual gratification in completing DREs, or that there was any sexual connotation to his examinations of student athletes.'
However, the report did reserve several pages for recommendations to IU's athletic department going forward, most notably among them that it reconsider a culture of separating its men's basketball program from the rest of the department medically.
'Understanding that the IU basketball program has the resources and desire to provide premium (and oftentimes separate) medical care to its players beyond the care offered to other sports,' the report reads, 'the university may benefit from bringing certain aspects of the basketball team's care in line with other sports at IU.'
Jones Day's report notes that as early as 1979, coach Bob Knight made efforts to carve his team's medical care out from the normal procedures followed by IU athletes.
Whereas most athletes at that time received standard medical care, including preparticipation physical examinations (PPEs) through IU's student health center, Knight moved to provide more specialized care for his athletes, including thorough cardiovascular examinations from recently retired team doctor Larry Rink and PPEs through Bomba.
Such specialized practice, the report noted, continues in some ways to this day. One of its several recommendations is a more standardized offering of medical care across IU's athletic department, including conducting standard PPEs for men's basketball players in the same location and manner done 'for all other IU student athletes.'
'Such an approach will standardize some of the care provided to basketball players, ensuring their primary physical examinations are not out of line with those received by other athletes,' the report reads, 'without sacrificing the quality of care provided beyond those exams.'
The report notes that some witnesses interviewed by Jones Day attribute the change in medical-care practices 'to coach Knight's desire for control and an effort to establish a private 'fiefdom' over the basketball program.' But it also suggests 'several witnesses' believed Knight made that change 'motivated by a desire to ensure his players received individualized and attentive care from physicians hand-picked to provide the best treatment possible.'
At one point, the report cites Rink as equating IU's annual physicals to ones that might be performed at the renown Cleveland or Mayo clinics. The report also reads: 'Basically players' PPEs were described as more akin to executive or concierge-level physicals that would include dental, vision, orthopedic, and cardiology exams that were not provided to other IU athletes.'
Rink retired from his position as team physician following last season's conclusion. Longtime team trainer Tim Garl, also interviewed for the report, was informed by athletic director Scott Dolson he would not be retained, with Dolson citing a desire for a 'fresh start' for the men's basketball program's sports medicine staff, per a statement from an attorney representing Garl.
Jones Day recommendations offered in investigation report
● Mandating continuing medical education for team physicians.
● Enhancing policy and training on sensitive exams.
● Training on and clarification of IU policies for contracted team physicians.
● Training to address athletic department culture and how to identify student athlete reports of misconduct.
● Formalizing a policy for trainers and medical staff report concerns to the athletic department's chief medical officer.
● Requesting access to contracted team physicians' credentialing files.
● Requiring IU Health to notify IU of complaints that might be made about team physicians outside the scope of their work with the university (in private practice, for example).
Summarizing its findings and recommendations, the report noted IU 'has created more robust policies, reporting structures and oversight within its sports medicine department' across the last several years.
It acknowledged the department's 'supervision of the basketball program's training and medical staff is now aligned with other sports teams at (IU),' and credited the university as it 'encourages and regularly trains staff and players to report concerns about sexual misconduct.'
'There has undoubtedly been significant progress made in professionalizing the IU sports medicine department over the past two decades,' the report reads. 'Nonetheless, we believe the additional measures we recommend herein for the university's consideration may help protect student athletes and prevent future issues related to evolving standards of care and alleged physician misconduct.'