A new class-action lawsuit was filed on October 16, 2024, against Indiana University in the US District Court for Southern Indiana by two former students and basketball players alleging Dr. Bradford Bomba Sr. repeatedly sexually assaulted them in the 1990s. The lawsuit specifically states that they believe the coaches and trainers were aware of the alleged abuse as the sexual assaults were "openly discussed by the Hoosier men's basketball players in the locker room in the presence of IU employees, including assistant coaches, athletic trainers, and other Hoosier men's basketball staff, but nobody did anything to stop it," according to the lawsuit.
According to a recent press release, the lawsuit states that the university "maintained a policy of deliberate indifference" as Dr. Bomba Sr. subjected athletes to medically unnecessary and abusive rectal and prostate examinations that are generally performed on men over 40 years of age. It states that Bomba was the IU Hoosiers' team physician for nearly 30 years until the late 1990s, according to the suit.
The two former basketball players, Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller made public statements about the abuse. Mujezinovic stated that his teammates would joke when they saw he was assigned to Dr. Bomba, Sr., warning him to prepare for 'the finger'," the suit says. "Players also commented on the size of Dr. Bomba, Sr.'s hands and fingers." Mujezinovic also stated in the lawsuit that Bomba gave him a rectal exam during his first physical then, on his second visit, Bomba "proceeded to digitally extract a stool sample from Mujezinovic, denying Mujezinovic any opportunity to provide a stool sample by other means," the suit says. The next year, Mujezinovic tried to avoid getting another rectal exam by hiding the lubricant that Bomba kept in his examination room on a high shelf before the doctor arrived, it says. Miller stated he was forced to comply with the exam all four years at the school.
Media reports reveal that Mujezinovic stated, "I'm standing up for all student-athletes who have suffered abuse. I hope that more of our former teammates will speak out and share their stories publicly." Miller reported, "I will never understand why IU leadership did nothing to protect us from what I now understand was sexual abuse." The attorney representing the two men believes there could be at least 100 more victims.
The lawsuit alleges that Indiana University failed to protect its students and is required under Title IX to have safety measures in place to protect students from predators in order to get federal funding. Indiana University contracted Bomba to provide medical care to all its sports teams from 1962 to 1970, and from 1979 until the late 1990s, he was the basketball team doctor, according to the lawsuit.
The attorneys for Indiana University stated that they will be conducting an independent review of the abuse allegations that will include witness interviews. a review of available documents, and engagement with medical experts to determine the background facts related to the annual physicals conducted by Dr. Bomba Sr. to see if the conduct was appropriate and necessary or within the standard of care, and what medical professionals and athletic department or university officials were aware of the conduct.
About Doctor Bradford Bomba Sr.
Bradford Bomba Sr, 88, was Indiana University's men's basketball team physician for two decades. He is a member of the Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame. Bomba, who had played football for Indiana University, was nicknamed "'Frankenstein" by the coaches and players "due to the large size of his hands and fingers," the lawsuit says. His bio includes Team physician for IU Rose Bowl team 1967; Chairman, Committee on Sports Medicine, Indiana State Medical Association; team physician for USA Olympic Basketball 1984; team physician for Bloomington South HS; head team physician for IU men's basketball; selected to IU Athletics Hall of Fame; recipient of Zora G. Clevenger Award; 50 years service to IU. His son, Bradford J. Bomba Jr, Is currently an internal health physician in the Indiana University Health System.
This is not the first time a University has been sued for turning a blind eye to sexual abuse by staff. 2018 by former Ohio State University wrestlers who said their coaches knew that Dr. Richard Strauss was preying on them but also failed to act. Horowitz Law is a law firm representing survivors of sexual abuse. We have handled multiple cases of sexual abuse by authority figures in schools. It is expected that any institutions in which children learn and develop skills offer an environment in which they are safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse. Athletic coaches are entrusted to facilitate learning and support their players' educational and training needs. Anyone who sexually violates their students has no place working in the community or school athletic programs. Any organization committing such a crime must take responsibility for failing to properly screen potential coaches and protect their players.
If you or a loved one was sexually abused, assaulted, raped, or molested by a coach, principal, teacher, or other school employees, contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com for a free consultation.