Editor’s note: This story includes mention of sexual violence or assault.
Jones Day, the law firm Indiana University retained in September 2024 to investigate allegations against former Indiana men’s basketball team physician Brad Bomba Sr., completed its investigation, according to a report the university released Thursday.
Bomba Sr. was found to have acted in a “clinically appropriate manner.” The firm didn’t find Bomba acted in “bad faith or with an improper purpose” when performing digital rectum examinations during pre-participation physical examinations to Indiana student athletes.
Five former players — Haris Mujezinovic, Charlie Miller, John Flowers, Larry Richardson Jr. and Butch Carter — are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Kathleen Delaney of Delaney & Delaney LLC. represents each of the five former players.
About the investigation
The firm conducted an extensive search into Bomba Sr’s background, reviewing over 100,000 pages of documents that spanned over six decades from the University Archives at the Herman B. Wells Library, according to the report.
It collected data from over 20 current and former university employees and analyzed over 10,000 emails and other documents such as media guides, news articles, organizational charts and internal and external correspondence. The firm also sought other available records from numerous other parts of the university.
The firm attempted to interview upward of 400 individuals, including current and former employees, former student athletes and other third parties. It also contacted over 320 former Indiana men’s basketball players, coaches and staff — and over 100 former Indiana football players — to find witnesses who could share their perspectives or any relevant information.
The investigation included interviews with over 15 individuals who are currently employed or closely tied to the university. In total, the firm interviewed “close to” 100 people, including multiple basketball players from each decade Bomba served as the team physician.
Bomba’s tenure
Then-Indiana University Elvis J. Stahr Jr. appointed Bomba as a contracted team physician for all Indiana athletic teams effective April 1, 1963 — a role he served until around September 1969. In 1969, Bomba proposed the university create a new director of intercollegiate sports medicine position, but he did not get selected for the role as he opted to continue with his private practice.
Despite previous media guides listing John Miller as the team physician from 1970-79, some former players recalled Bomba serving as a team physician in some capacity through much of the 1970s. He was then first listed as the team physician in 1980-81.
Bomba held his position until 1998, when Lawrence Rink assumed the role. However, according to player accounts, Bomba continued to assist the program into the 2000s as he still performed physical exams in the 2000-01 season. It’s unknown when Bomba’s association with the program ended, but players recounted him having limited involvement after the university fired head coach Bob Knight in September 2000.
Bomba’s actions
Bomba’s pre-participation physical examinations "exceeded a baseline PPE aimed at simply screening conditions or predispositions to injuries that could put an athlete at risk during sports participation,” the report read.
Bomba administered rectal exams on all Indiana men’s basketball players as part of their annual physicals. According to “nearly all accounts” that were provided by former players the firm spoke with, Bomba performed the digital rectal examinations in a “professional and clinical manner.”
Bomba used a glove and lubricant, the players recalled, and often gave instructions or reasonings for the exam. They said he didn’t make “any odd, suggestive, or inappropriate comments before, during, or after the rectal exam.” The firm found no evidence Bomba performed the DREs outside of players’ annual physicals.
While most former players the firm spoke with reported “favorable or unconcerned experiences” with Bomba, 11 former players “expressed concern or were equivocal” about the DREs.
Some players didn’t feel there was “anything malicious” about Bomba’s exams but did have concerns he performed the DREs during their annual physicals. As time has passed, some players do feel the exams were inappropriate, according to the report. Three former players said they “felt violated or humiliated” because of the DREs.
During the time in which players were scheduled to see Bomba for their physicals, players would joke regarding the DREs, specifically about Bomba’s fingers. Players told the firm head trainer Tim Garl overheard and even periodically joined in the jokes.
The medical experts the firm spoke with stated Garl, who IU parted ways with March 31, joking about medical procedures was unprofessional.
The firm retained three independent experts with extensive sports medicine experience. The three agreed on the following foundational points:
- “When Dr. Bomba was in medical school, his training would have emphasized the importance of including a DRE during an annual exam of an adult patient.”
- “During much of Dr. Bomba’s tenure, the content of the PPE was not standardized, which left physicians to use their discretion and medical judgement concerning the content of the PPE.”
- “It was uncommon for physicians, utilizing that discretion, to perform DREs during a routine annual PPE on college-age student athletes without pertinent history of complaints.”
However, the experts’ opinions differed on the appropriateness of Bomba’s practice of performing DREs in annual physicals.
One expert said it was “neither necessary nor appropriate at any time” during Bomba’s tenure as team physician.
Another expert thought it was medically appropriate for Bomba to perform DREs on the student athletes during their physicals. The expert believes performing the DRE falls within the physician’s discretion.
The third expert determined Bomba’s decision to include the DREs could be seen as “reasonable medical judgement” for most of Bomba’s career. However, as standardization of the physicals began in the late 1990s, Bomba performing the DREs at the end of his tenure was “outdated and no longer reasonable.”
Dalton James covers Indiana women's basketball and football for the Indiana Daily Student. You can follow him at @DaltonMJames on X and contact him via email at jamesdm@iu.edu.
