Charlie Miller and Haris Mujezinovic file class action lawsuit against IU alleging sexual abuse by former team doctor
Former Indiana University men’s basketball players Charlie Miller and Haris Mujezinovic filed a class action lawsuit today against the university alleging sexual abuse by a former team doctor.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court Tuesday in Indianapolis, alleges that Miller and Mujezinovic “were routinely and repeatedly subjected to medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations by Dr. Bradford Bomba, Sr., the team’s physician.”
Bomba Sr. served as a contracted physician for IU athletic teams, including the men’s basketball program for several decades, concluding in the late 1990s.
Miller played in 126 games for the Hoosiers from 1994 through 1998. Mujezinovic played in 62 games from 1995 through 1997.
“I will never understand why IU leadership did nothing to protect us from what I now understand was sexual abuse,” Miller said in a statement released by DeLaney & DeLaney, a law firm based in Indianapolis that filed the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges IU “knew about the abuse and failed to act on this knowledge by systemically mishandling or turning a blind eye to players’ complaints of Dr. Bomba, Sr.’s sexual assaults, contrary to federal law.”
The 22-page lawsuit also alleges that “IU’s failure to take effective preventative measures allowed this sexually abusive behavior to persist, caused harm to students, and perpetuated a policy of deliberate indifference to and tacit acceptance of Dr. Bomba’s sexual assaults.”
The lawsuit seeks “unspecified money damages on behalf of all former IU student-athletes who were sexually assaulted by Dr. Bradford Bomba, Sr., during their participation in IU’s programs.”
In September, Indiana University announced it retained Jones Day to launch an independent review into allegations against Bomba Sr. made by a former IU men’s basketball student-athlete.
According to IU’s statement in September, the review will include witness interviews, a review of available documentation and engagement with medical experts to determine: 1) the background facts related to the annual physicals of IU student-athletes conducted by Dr. Bomba, Sr.; 2) if the conduct was appropriate, necessary, or within the standard of care; and 3) what medical professionals and athletic department or university officials were aware of the conduct and, if warranted, what action did they take.
The university said that it will abide by the review’s findings and “take any warranted actions.” The university’s statement made in September also said IU would not comment further while the review was ongoing.
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