CORRECTION: This story and headline have been updated to reflect Butch Carter was not added as a named plaintiff in the lawsuit and instead provided testimony in the case.
A former Indiana men’s basketball player was added as a plaintiff in the class action lawsuit against Indiana University trustees and current Indiana men’s basketball trainer Tim Garl, with another providing testimony as a witness. The suit stems from complaints of sexual abuse against former Indiana men’s basketball team physician Brad Bomba Sr.
Larry Richardson Jr. joined John Flowers, Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller as the four former players in the suit. Richardson Jr. played for the Hoosiers from 1995-2000.
Butch Carter, who played for the Hoosiers from 1976-80, provided the testimony. According to the lawsuit, Carter complained to then-Indiana head coach Bob Knight and team trainer Bob Young about Bomba Sr.’s sexual misconduct. To Carter’s knowledge, Knight never acted on the complaints.
An earlier account from Carter, which was originally anonymous, stated he told Knight he didn’t want to see Bomba Sr. again, and Knight responded, “You’re going to take a physical.” Knight “left it alone” once Carter said he would visit a different doctor.
In the same account, Carter said he went to George Taliaferro, a former Indiana football player who was working in the office of the university president at the time, about Bomba Sr.’s sexual misconduct. Taliaferro allegedly responded, “Bomba is a piece of shit.”
The original lawsuit, filed Oct. 15, 2024, alleged IU mishandled players’ complaints of sexual misconduct against Bomba Sr. On Jan. 14, 2025, the lawsuit was amended to include Garl as a defendant, alleging he assigned players to Bomba Sr. while aware Bomba Sr. would sexually assault them.
Garl’s statement Feb. 2 read, “the evidence will show that the prevailing standard of care at the relevant time included digital rectal examinations part of a complete physical examination of college-aged males.”
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