Third ex-IU basketball player steps forward alleging abuse, 'perverse rite of passage'

Third ex-IU basketball player steps forward alleging abuse, ‘perverse rite of passage’

Posted by Admin October 15, 2024 Basketball

BLOOMINGTON — On the same day two former Indiana basketball players filed a lawsuit against the school alleging mistreatment by former team physician Brad Bomba Sr., another former player has come forward with sexual abuse allegations under the guise of medical examinations against the team’s former doctor.

The “John Doe” has retained Michelle Simpson Tuegel of the Simpson Tuegel Law Firm to investigate and represent him in a potential civil claim against the university.

While the player is seeking to remain anonymous, the law firm confirmed he was an ex-IU basketball player who played for former coach Bob Knight in the 1990s.

DOYEL: IU’s response to Brad Bomba Sr. allegations — transparent, independent pursuit of truth

“After seeing another player recently come forward, I felt obliged to confirm and substantiate his claims,” the John Doe said in statement. “Though not easy to talk about, I was subjected to horrifically invasive and completely unnecessary exams by team physician Brad Bomba Sr., propagated as a perverse rite of passage within the program’s toxic culture of hazing, dehumanization, and silence.”

“All that mattered to the University was winning games and protecting reputations. I was subjected to sexual abuse and emotional torment at IU, the impacts of which I still carry with me to this day.”

Bomba was a longtime member of Knight’s staff and acted as team physician for the 1967 Rose Bowl team and the 1984 US Olympic basketball team. He was also a team physician at Bloomington High School and was later inducted into both the Marion and Monroe County halls of fame.

Indiana University first became aware of the abuse allegations when it received a letter from legal counsel on the behalf of a former player. The school announced in September it had retained Jones Day, an international law firm with experience in “sensitive” investigations, to conduct an investigation into Bomba’s conduct.

IndyStar has confirmed that letter was sent from former IU player Haris Mujezinovic, who filed a federal class action law suit against the university alongside Charlie Miller on Tuesday.

In the lawsuit, they allege Bomba “routinely and repeatedly” subjected them to “medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations” and that the university was aware of the misconduct.

While the timing of the announcements was coincidental, Doe’s attorney made similar claims on Tuesday.

“From the information we’ve gathered so far from speaking to our client and others, the university had notice for decades of Doctor Bomba’s horrific abuse of their student athletes, deciding to turn a blind eye instead of protecting these young people,” Tuegel said, in a statement. “If Indiana University intends to uphold its promises of transparency and protecting students, university leadership must take immediate steps to remove any personnel who had knowledge of and failed to prevent sexual abuse.”

Tuegel, who is a founding member of the Texas-based law firm, has represented sexual-abuse survivors in a numerous cases including the Larry Nassar litigation against Michigan State, USA Gymnastics and U.S. Olympic Committee.

The university has referred back to its previous statement when contacted for comment on Tuesday.