BLOOMINGTON — Another former IU men’s basketball player has been added to a lawsuit against a former team physician accused of performing unnecessary and invasive rectal exams decades ago.
The lawsuit, filed in October against Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. and the IU Board of Trustees, now includes former player John Flowers as another victim, alongside former players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller.
Flowers was on the team for two years from 1981 to 1983 before transferring to the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Mujezinovic was a member of the men's team at IU for two seasons from 1995-97 and Miller played for four seasons starting in 1994.
Current head men’s basketball athletic trainer Tim Garl was also added as a plaintiff, alleging he knew about the allegations against Bomba Sr. and failed to protect the athletes.
“Garl had actual knowledge of and participated in Dr. Bomba, Sr.’s constitutional violations by continuing to assign IU’s student athletes to Dr. Bomba, Sr. for physical examinations with knowledge that, when he did so, Dr. Bomba, Sr. would sexually assault those students,” the lawsuit reads.
Garl started at IU in 1981, supervising the men’s basketball medical team.
In a statement, IU Spokesman Mark Bode said the university does not comment on litigation and referred to IU's previous statement on the independent review.
As previously reported, the former players allege Bomba Sr. performed "unnecessary" colon and rectal exams during annual physicals, under the guise of medical care.
“Mujezinovic, Miller, Flowers, their former teammates, and other IU men’s basketball players were forced to choose between enduring the sexual abuse Dr. Bomba, Sr. inflicted or abandoning their chance to play for a highly prestigious basketball program and complete their education at IU,” the lawsuit reads.
The players allege they were not allowed to choose which physician conducted their physical and were repeatedly assigned to Bomba Sr.
“Garl was at all times relevant herein aware of Dr. Bomba, Sr.’s sexual abuse, but continued to condone, facilitate, and approve Dr. Bomba, Sr.’s constitutional violations of the IU men’s basketball players by continuing to assign those players to receive physical examinations from Dr. Bomba, Sr.” the lawsuit reads.
IU opened an investigation into the allegations in September and has hired the international law firm Jones Day to review the allegations.
In December, a judge ruled Bomba Sr. was competent to face a deposition, where he refused to answer several questions, pleading the Fifth Amendment.
