Latest news with #Garl
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
More former Indiana players allege sexual misconduct by physician
Field Level Media More than 15 former Indiana men's basketball players allege improper sexual conduct by a former team physician, and they claim that university officials — including the late coach Bobby Knight — knew of the doctor's behavior. Two former Hoosiers sued the school last fall, but the number of complainants has grown to five with another 10 expecting to also pursue litigation, according to ESPN on Tuesday. In the existing lawsuit, former players allege that Dr. Bradford Bomba, who died last month at the age of 89, regularly performed rectal exams on male athletes during physicals despite the fact that medical guidance did not recommend them for college-age men. The lawsuit argued that this amounted to sexual misconduct, and it claimed university officials were aware of this behavior, yet failed to stop it. The players said that they raised complaints, with some even requesting a different physician. However, the athletes alleged that Knight, who died in 2023, and head athletic trainer Tim Garl instructed players to continue seeing Bomba. Garl, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, was the head athletic trainer from 1981 until this year, when Indiana said it would not renew his contract. Garl's attorneys, emphasizing that the trainer did not supervise Bomba, noted that rectal exams were a normal part of a physical. During his initial deposition a year ago, Bomba refused to answer 45 questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Last month, Indiana commissioned an investigation that found Bomba's digital rectal exams were performed in a 'clinically appropriate manner,' adding that there was 'no evidence to suggest that Dr. Bomba achieved sexual gratification.' However, Michelle Simpson Tuegel — representing the group of 10 players who are preparing to file suit — said two of her clients contradict that finding. One individual said Bomba 'fondled his genitalia' during a physical. Some medical experts indicated that it was uncommon for a physician to perform a rectal exam without any concerning history or symptoms. These procedures are generally used to screen for prostate and other cancers. In the 1990s, the American Cancer Society recommended them for men who were 50 and older. An Indiana University spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana University parts ways with athletic trainer accused of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse
Indiana University parted ways with a longtime athletic trainer after 44 seasons, the man's attorney said Tuesday. Tim Garl had been the head men's basketball trainer at the school since 1981 before IU Athletic Director Scott Dolson told him his Hoosiers career would end and his last day of work was Monday. "Dolson informed Garl that he would like a 'fresh start' for the IU Basketball Sports Medicine staff," Christopher Lee, Garl's attorney, said in a statement to NBC News. At least five Indiana players, including one-time NBA player and former Toronto Raptors coach Butch Carter, are suing the university for allegedly ignoring warnings about Dr. Bradford Bomba Sr., who they allege performed medically unnecessarily rectal exams on the young men. Garl is named in the lawsuit, which accused him of turning a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse within the Hoosiers program. In December, Bomba Sr. invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination dozens of times during a deposition for the lawsuit. Plaintiffs' attorney Kathleen DeLaney said her clients asked the university to remove Garl this past summer. "I mean, unless the university issues a statement to that effect, I don't know what their decision making process was," she told NBC News on Tuesday. "All I can tell you is, we asked them to exit Tim Garl and they launched an investigation. We added Mr. Garl to the lawsuit as a defendant, and shortly thereafter, he was terminated." Garl has not been accused of participating in any rectal exams of players, which "at the time was standard for a complete physical exam," Lee said. A representative for Bomba could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday. The retired physician has previously declined to answer questions about the alleged abuse. Despite leaving Assembly Hall under these difficult circumstances, Lee said, his client is appreciative of his long career serving every Hoosiers basketball coach since Bobby Knight. "He finds it a blessing that a kid from Elkhart, IN could be fortunate enough to participate in both collegiate and international competitions," according to Lee's statement. "Tim's enduring legacy includes being at every IU basketball game for 44 seasons." According to an IU spokesperson, Garl's contract was among 12 associated with the Hoosiers men's basketball program that were not renewed. The spokesperson did not offer any additional comment Tuesday. The Hoosiers recently hired West Virginia's Darian DeVries to lead the men's basketball program after Mike Woodson stepped down following a four-year stint as head coach at his alma mater. This article was originally published on
NBC News
01-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
Indiana University parts ways with athletic trainer accused of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse
Indiana University p a rted ways with a longtime athletic trainer after 44 seasons, the man's attorney said Tuesday. Tim Garl had been the head men's basketball trainer at the school since 1981 before IU athletic director Scott Dolson told him his Hoosiers career would end and his last day of work was Monday. "Dolson informed Garl that he would like a 'fresh start' for the IU Basketball Sports Medicine staff," Garl's attorney Christopher Lee said in a statement to NBC News. At least five Indiana players, including one-time NBA player and former Toronto Raptors coach Butch Carter, are suing the university for allegedly ignoring warnings about Dr. Bradford Bomba Sr., who they allege performed medically unnecessarily rectal exams of the young men. Garl is named in the lawsuit and accused him of turning a blind eye to alleged sexual abuse within the Hoosiers program. In December, Bomba Sr. invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self- incrimination dozens of times during a deposition for the lawsuit. Plaintiffs' attorney Kathleen DeLaney said her clients asked the university to remove Garl this past summer. However, DeLaney stopped short of calling the trainer's departure an admission of wrongdoing. "I mean, unless the university issues a statement to that effect, I don't know what their decision making process was," she told NBC News on Tuesday. "All I can tell you is, we asked them to exit Tim Garl and they launched an investigation. We added Mr. Garl to the lawsuit as a defendant, and shortly thereafter, he was terminated." Garl has not been accused of participating in any rectal exams of players, which "at the time was standard for a complete physical exam," Lee said. Despite leaving Assembly Hall under these difficult circumstances, Lee said his client is appreciative of his long career serving every Hoosiers basketball coach since Bobby Knight. "He finds it a blessing that a kid from Elkhart, IN could be fortunate enough to participate in both collegiate and international competitions," according to Lee's statement. "Tim's enduring legacy includes being at every IU basketball game for 44 seasons." According to an IU spokesperson, Garl's contract was among 12 associated with the Hoosiers men's basketball program that were not renewed. The spokesperson did not offer any additional comment on Tuesday. The Hoosiers recently hired West Virginia's Darian DeVries to lead the men's basketball program after Mike Woodson stepped down following a four-year stint as head coach at his alma mater.
