Latest news with #BradBombaSr.
Indianapolis Star
01-05-2025
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
Law firm's probe suggests no special treatment for Indiana basketball compared to other sports
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.'
Indianapolis Star
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Law firm finds that former Indiana basketball team physician didn't act 'in bad faith'
Indiana University hired Jones Day, an international law firm with experience in sensitive investigations, in September to investigate the allegations against Dr Brad Bomba Sr. Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. was a team physician for the mens' basketball team for several decades. Jones Day interviewed close to 100 people, reviewed more than 100,000 documents and 10,000 emails as part of its investigation. BLOOMINGTON — An independent investigation found Thursday that former Indiana basketball team physician Brad Bomba Sr. did not act "in bad faith or with an improper purpose" while conducting examinations through his career, according to an 874-page investigation report Indiana University released. The school hired Jones Day, a prominent international law firm with experience in sensitive investigations, in September after receiving a letter on behalf of a former student-athlete, later confirmed to be Haris Mujezinovic, accusing Bomba of performing inappropriate prostate exams during annual physicals. Mujezinovic along with Charlie Miller filed a federal class action lawsuit in October against the school related to Bomba's conduct. The report concluded that Bomba conducted digital rectal examinations (DREs) as a routine part of his annual physical examinations (PPEs) of players throughout his tenure and those examinations were 'by virtually all accounts' conducted in a clinically appropriate manner. Jones Day also found no evidence to suggest Bomba obtained any sexual gratification in performing the tests. 'The evidence did not lead us to conclude that Dr. Bomba acted in bad faith or with an improper purpose when performing DREs while conducting thorough and complete PPEs of a college-age student athletes,' the report states. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. DeLaney & DeLaney, the law firm representing the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Indiana University and Tim Garl, responded to the report stating, 'The Jones Day report confirms that IU officials knew that Dr. Bomba, Sr. was penetrating these young athletes' rectums and IU refused to stop it.' An attorney representing Bomba provided USA Today Network with a statement from Bomba's son, Dr. Brad Bomba Jr.: "Our family has not had a chance to read the 874 pages of the Jones Day report in full but we understand its conclusion affirms what we have known our entire lives, which is that our father was a caring physician who treated his patients in a clinically appropriate manner, always placing their health as his top priority." "Indiana University will continue to work toward ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of our community and will continue to take any and all allegations of misconduct seriously," the university said in the release of the report. According to the 874-page report, Jones Day interviewed close to 100 people, including multiple student-athletes from each decade that Bomba served as team physician, and reviewed more than 100,000 documents spanning six decades, as well as 10,000 emails. The law firm also retained three independent medical experts with a background in sports medicine and high-level athletics. Jones Day cited the opinions of those experts to conclude that it was 'not clearly unreasonable' for Bomba to include DREs as part of the basketball team's annual physical exams. Jones Day has worked on similarly prominent investigations in college athletics, either as representation or in providing independent review of facts, including cases at Michigan and Michigan State in recent years. Jones Day investigation report into former Indiana basketball physician Dr. Brad Bomba Sr
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Allegations against IU team doctor show reality of sexual assault
When you think about a typical sexual assault victim, what comes to mind? It's likely a woman, probably young. Maybe it's a child or teen who is weak, vulnerable, without power or strength. Now think about the perpetrator of that violence. It's likely a stranger who lurks in the shadows. Like any television crime show, they attack unwitting victims they don't know under the cover of darkness. Now, let's think about the reality: 1 in 3 Hoosier women, and 1 in 5 Hoosier men report they have been sexually assaulted. Some of those men were allegedly assaulted by a trusted adult, a pillar of the community, at one of the nation's top collegiate basketball programs: Indiana University. I grew up in Bloomington. My family members have had season tickets to IU basketball since I can remember. I spent many hours next to my late father at Assembly Hall. I'm a proud IU graduate, as are members of my extended family. But what is alleged by four men against the IU team doctor cannot be ignored or taken lightly. It has laid bare an ugly truth about sports, power, and why this epidemic of sexual violence is so hard to address. I will not evaluate the case or the allegations against Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. That's for the courts to sort out. But, as we learned in the case involving Dr. Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics, anyone can be the victim of sexual violence at any time. Often, it is at the hands of someone they know, trust or even love. The lawsuit involving the former IU basketball players turns society's accepted construct of victim and perpetrator upside down. A victim simply can't be strong, physically gifted young men who are worshiped for their talent. Certainly not young men who are fast and able to fight back from an attack. And the alleged perpetrator simply can't be a revered team doctor of a storied athletic dynasty with ties to a legendary coach. Certainly not in an environment where others — trainers, coaches, other players — are aware of the alleged assaults. Certainly not in a place where we expect a team to be a family and ensure the safety and well being of each other. Opinion: Netflix's Gabby Petito series lays bare hidden patterns of domestic violence But that's just the point. Anyone, anywhere, is at risk, even if you are an elite gymnast or a standout basketball player. And with reputations, contracts, winning records and the associated income to the university all on the line, the harder it is for people to comprehend that sexual assault can occur in these safe spaces. That's why at the Indiana Coalition is End Sexual Assault, we start by believing survivors. We never discount a victim when they come forward, no matter how much time has passed, no matter how beloved the alleged perpetrator is and no matter how hard it is to believe that male athletes at the top of their game could be a victim. Because we know it can happen to anyone. Beth White is CEO of the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Sexual assault is widespread — even against men | Opinion
