BLOOMINGTON – A lawyer representing former Indiana University athletes who allege sexual assault by the late former IU team doctor Brad Bomba says she anticipates their lawsuit against the university will proceed despite Bomba’s recent death. Bomba, 89, passed away on Thursday, according to his obituary.
Bomba, a celebrated former IU football player and longtime team physician for various IU sports, including the men’s basketball team during its championship years, was at the center of allegations that surfaced in August.
A class-action lawsuit was filed against IU in October by former men’s basketball players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller, who claimed Bomba sexually abused them during physical examinations. Three other former players, John Flowers, Larry Richardson Jr., and Butch Carter, later joined the lawsuit.
Bomba was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit against the university’s trustees and a former basketball trainer, and prosecutors never filed criminal charges against him.
IU hired the Jones Day law firm to investigate the allegations. Their review, released on May 1, concluded that Bomba conducted exams appropriately and found no evidence of improper intent.
However, attorney Kathleen DeLaney of DeLaney & DeLaney, representing the former players, stated that Bomba gave videotaped testimony in the lawsuit a few months prior and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 40 times. DeLaney indicated on Tuesday night that the lawsuit against Indiana University will continue.
