Latest news with #HarisMujezinovic
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
More former Indiana basketball players allege sexual misconduct by ex-team doctor
More former men's basketball players for Indiana University have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by a former team physician, while stating school officials, including the late head coach Bobby Knight, were aware of the situation. Last fall, former Hoosier players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller filed a lawsuit against Bradford Bomba Sr., who died last month. The suit claimed the two were sexually abused by Bomba during their time playing for Indiana. That lawsuit, which was filed in October, now has five ex-athletes named in it, while 10 additional men are planning to pursue litigation against Indiana, per ESPN. "I have two sons who are the same age that I was when that happened to me," Mujezinovic, who played for the Hoosiers in the late 1990s, said in an email to ESPN. "At the time, I viewed myself as an adult, but now I realize, looking at my own kids, how young and powerless me and my teammates actually were. "The adults within the basketball program who were entrusted with our care knew what was happening to us. They joked about it and let it continue." Bomba routinely gave male athletes rectal exams during their physicals despite no medical recommendations to do so, according to the lawsuit. Bomba worked as the men's basketball physician for almost 30 years. Longtime trainer Tim Garl was listed as a defendant in January after another former player, John Flowers, joined the lawsuit. Flowers said Garl was aware of Bomba's "invasive, harassing, and demeaning digital rectal examinations." "After his first physical, Flowers's teammates told him he had 'passed' Dr. Bomba, Sr.'s 'test,' and that he would not have to undergo a digital rectal examination again," the lawsuit states. "Garl laughed at Flowers and his freshman teammates and made jokes at their expense regarding the digital rectal examinations they endured." Players allegedly complained about the exams, some of which said they wished to have a different physician look at them in the future. However, Knight and Garl continued to have players see Bomba. Another player, Butch Carter, who played for Indiana in the late 1970s, wrote in a letter that he told Knight he never wanted to see Bomba again. The letter is in the lawsuit, though Carter is not a part of the lawsuit. An outside investigation was done to look further into the allegations, and it found that rectal exams are a normal part of a physical. Indiana also released a statement in September 2024 saying they would be conducting an independent review. Indiana hired the law firm Jones Day to conduct the investigation, which involved speaking with "100 individuals," going through "10,000 emails," and reviewing "more than 100,000 pages of physical documents spanning six decades," according to the report released on April 25. With Bomba's death last month, and the outside investigation clearing him of sexual misconduct, the legal path for these players will be a difficult one. But Michelle Simpson Tuegel, who is representing the 10 men prepared to file their lawsuit, states two of her clients have stories contradicting those findings, saying Bomba's actions were not sexual, per ESPN. One of the men, who played in the late 1990s for the Hoosiers, claimed Bomba "fondled his genitalia" during a physical. Indiana University told Fox News Digital it does not comment on litigation. Additionally, the university pointed to the Jones Day investigation results as reference. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Indianapolis Star
07-05-2025
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
What's next for former Indiana basketball players who filed federal lawsuit against IU?
Former Indiana basketball players including Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller filed a federal class action lawsuit against the school in October. The former IU players allege they were subject to "medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations" by former team physician Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. The independent investigation conducted by Jones Day into the allegations concluded that Bomba didn't act in "bad faith." BLOOMINGTON — The recently released report from Jones Day into the conduct of former Indiana basketball team physician Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. has already made its way into legal filings in the related federal class action lawsuit filed by a group of former IU players. DeLaney & DeLaney, an Indianapolis-based law firm representing the players, filed a motion with the court less than 24 hours after the report was made available Thursday to the public that sought to use the document in an argument opposing Indiana University's request to postpone discovery in the case. Former Indiana basketball player Haris Mujezinovic, along with Charlie Miller, filed a federal class action lawsuit in October against the school, alleging they were "routinely and repeatedly" subject to "medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations" by Bomba. Indiana hired Jones Day in September to conduct an independent investigation in response to a letter it received on behalf of Mujezinovic that detailed those allegations. While the Jones Day report concluded that Bomba did not act in "bad faith" or "improper purpose" in conducting digital rectal examinations (DREs) as a routine part of his annual physical examinations (PPEs) — the report states he conducted those tests in a clinically appropriate manner and there was no element of sexual gratification — the litigation continues to work its way through court. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Federal class action lawsuit related to Dr. Brad Bomba's alleged misconduct working its way through court Mujezinovic and Miller were joined by fellow former Indiana players John Flowers and Larry Richardson Jr. as plaintiffs in amended complaints that were filed with the court in recent months. Former Indiana team trainer Tim Garl was added as a defendant in the case. In the most recent complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on April 7, the former Indiana student-athletes allege that the school 'systemically mishandled and turned a blind eye to Dr. Bomba Sr.'s sexual misconduct' with a policy of 'deliberate indifference.' The complaint states that Garl had knowledge of Bomba's conduct and still assigned student-athletes to him for physical exams. Garl, who served as the team's athletic trainer for four-plus decades, wasn't retained after former Indiana basketball Mike Woodson stepped down at the end of the 2025 season. He released a statement through his attorney March 31 announcing his departure. Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson informed Garl that the basketball program was looking for a 'fresh start' for the training staff under new coach Darian DeVries, the statement said. Jones Day interviewed Garl as part of its investigation — it even conducted a "manual search" of his office for documentation — and the law firm concluded he had a "good faith" belief the DREs that Bomba conducted were medically appropriate. "Garl appears to have given deference to Dr. Bomba's medical expertise," the report states. "In addition, his experiences at other schools and the lack of complaints about Dr. Bomba reasonably could have led him to assume that Dr. Bomba was acting in accordance with the prevailing medical standard of care at the time." The most recent complaint from the players also states that coach Bob Knight, former basketball athletic trainer Bob Young and former IU football player George Taliaferro who previously worked in the president's office, had knowledge of Bomba's actions as early as 1979, but didn't take any action. Those allegations stem from the sworn testimony submitted March 20 from former Indiana basketball player Butch Carter. Carter, who played from 1976 to 1980 and was a former team captain, isn't a named plaintiff in the lawsuit, but he came forward in support of the former players' claim. He spoke with Jones Day before the declaration was filed with the court and the law firm investigated his claims. "We were unable to uncover any evidence of what, if anything, was done in response to Carter's complaints," the report states. "From Carter's perspective, no action was taken. Taliaferro, Young, and Knight, as well as former team physician Dr. John Miller, are deceased so we have only Carter's account of these conversations. Whether any of these individuals would have viewed DREs as inappropriate is unclear, especially given that other physicians (e.g., in the military, NBA, and Bloomington community) appear to have included DREs in annual physicals of young men." Magistrate judge Mario Garcia approved a case management plan March 7 with a proposed trail date of September 2026, but the lawyers representing Indiana University and Garl filed separate motions to have the case dismissed in April. The school is being represented Barnes & Thornburg while Garl has retained Dinsmore & Shohl. Brad Bomba Sr. won't sit down for follow-up deposition in federal lawsuit Recent court filings revealed Bomba is in declining health after the plaintiffs in the case sought a follow-up deposition. While the court ruled Bomba was competent to testify at a December hearing, his guardian, Joseph Bomba, submitted an affidavit from a doctor who examined his father March 26 and recommended him for hospice care. 'Subjecting him to a court proceeding or deposition, even with accommodations intended to ease the experience, would, in reasonable likelihood, cause serious medical harm and may contribute to or hasten his death,' the affidavit stated. Bomba invoked his Fifth Amendment right 45 times at his initial deposition Dec. 4. In response to a motion from the plaintiffs, Garcia ruled that Bomba improperly invoked the privilege on numerous occasions and needed to re-sit for another deposition to answer those questions (and reasonable follow-ups), but reversed course in April 1 ruling. 'The court sympathizes with plaintiffs' many frustrations. But Dr. Heady has made serious statements under oath about the critical risk of a deposition to Dr. Bomba's health as he begins end of life care,' Garcia's ruling stated. 'Moreover, as a non-party (albeit, the individual whose alleged conduct is at the heart of the lawsuit), Dr. Bomba burdensome argument is particularly strong.' As noted in Jones Day's report, Bomba didn't sit down for an interview as part of the law firms investigation citing the same health concerns his attorney has outlined in court.
