Ex-Indiana doc declines sex abuse concerns

• Paula Lavigne, ESPN Investigative ReporterDec 13, 2024, 03:08 PM ET

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  • Information expert and press reporter for ESPN’s Enterprise and Investigative System.
  • Winner, 2014 Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award; finalist, 2012 IRE broadcast award; winner, 2011 Gannett Structure Award for Development in Guard Dog Journalism; Emmy chose, 2009.

Lawyers for two previous Indiana University basketball players asked a judge Thursday to oblige previous group physician Dr. Bradford Bomba Sr., to respond to questions about his conduct– including his conversations with then-coach Bobby Knight– as part of a Title IX claim that alleges Bomba sexually abused numerous male athletes.Bomba refused to

respond to 45 concerns during a 75-minute deposition on Dec. 4, on the advice of his lawyers citing his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination and his right to due procedure, according to the filing.On Oct. 15,

Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller, who bet the Hoosiers in the mid-1990s, filed a class-action suit against Indiana University declaring that they and their teammates “were regularly and repeatedly subjected to clinically unnecessary, invasive, and abusive digital rectal examinations” by Bomba.Bomba began dealing with Indiana athletes in the 1960s and was the group physician for the majority of Knight’s tenure. He left the program in the late 1990s.

The suit alleges that the athletic department needed professional athletes to see Bomba for their physicals which the doctor regularly performed prostate exams on them. The claim keeps in mind that prostate tests, advised “at the earliest” for guys 40 or older, are unneeded for college-aged men.Bomba’s reputation for the regular exams was a topic of discussion amongst players in the presence of assistant coaches, athletic fitness instructors and other athletic department personnel, according to the lawsuit. It alleges that university authorities– regardless of understanding of the habits– failed to stop Bomba, permitting him to continue the abuse, and perpetuated “a policy of purposeful indifference.”

“When Mujezinovic’s colleagues saw that he was assigned to Dr. Bomba, Sr., they warned Mujezinovic to prepare for ‘the finger,'” it specifies, keeping in mind that Bomba was described as “Frankenstein” for the size of his hands and fingers.Bomba’s lawyers failed previously this month in their attempt to argue the 88-year-old was incompetent to affirm. A judge ruled he could address concerns under particular guidelines.Parties in a civil lawsuit can typically decline to respond to questions under the Fifth Amendment in cases where they might also be facing criminal liability. The plaintiffs’lawyers noted Bomba had a right to conjure up the Fifth Change in some questions.”He declined to respond to concerns that would likely have self-incriminating answers, consisting of the following: ‘was it your routine and general practice to carry out digital rectal examinations during every trainee professional athlete physical at IU?’;'[ d] id you get informed approval from student professional athletes before you performed digital rectal examinations on them?’;’ how did you conduct digital rectal examinations on IU players?'”the movement states.But the plaintiffs ‘attorneys argued in their motion that Bomba refused to answer questions on basic” innocuous” details and ones that brought no capacity of criminal prosecution.Attorneys representing the university and Bomba did not respond to e-mails asking why Bomba was instructed not to respond to. The university’s response to the claim is due Tuesday.Most sex crimes in Indiana have a statute of restrictions that ranges in duration depending upon the circumstance, and current amendments have included exceptions if there is brand-new DNA proof, a recording of the criminal activity or

admission by the alleged perpetrator.Several of the concerns Bomba refused to answer referred to his interactions with Knight, who died in November 2023, including questions such as,”Did Coach Knight express an interest to you in the overall health of his players?”and,” Dr. Bomba, did

you travel with the I.U. guys’s basketball group to games in Illinois? “The complainants’motion also notes that Bomba refused to address questions about fundamental healthcare, his understanding of Title IX, and questions about trainee grievances, including whether any Indiana professional athletes grumbled about the prostate exams.Plaintiffs ‘attorney Kathleen DeLaney stated she believed Bomba didn’t respond to the questions”since the answers wouldn’t have benefited him or for Indiana University.”She said it was necessary to comprehend Bomba’s interactions with Knight to know the number of individuals in a position of authority may have understood”what was going on throughout these examinations,”and the more people who understood,”the harder it would be for the university to reject what it knew was going on. “When asked about Bomba’s refusal to respond to, a representative for Indiana referred ESPN to a statement the university provided in September after the allegations ended up being public, stating it had hired an outside firm to perform an internal examination into the accusations. The spokesperson did not supply an update on that investigation.