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Former Indiana basketball player Butch Carter has come forward with allegations of abuse against former team physician Dr. Bradford Bomba, Sr., alleging he reported the incident to former coach Bob Knight and school officials.
Carter's sworn testimony was submitted in federal court on Thursday as part of the ongoing class action lawsuit against the school related to Bomba’s conduct. Carter is the fifth ex-player to come forward with allegations.
Former IU players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller filed a federal class action lawsuit against the school on Oct. 15. They accused Bomba, who is not a named defendant in the suit, of subjecting them to "medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations.”
John Flowers and Larry Richardson have joined them as plaintiffs. An amended complaint named the program’s current and longtime head athletic trainer Tim Garl as a co-defendant.
Carter, a former team captain who played for IU from 1976-80, submitted testimony in support of the former players’ claims.
According to Carter’s testimony, Bomba performed a rectal examination on him as part of the physical in 1979. Carter testified he was required to undergo a physical during the offseason after receiving an invitation to play for USA Basketball.
His annual physical had previously been conducted Dr. Robert Miller, another physician on staff, but he was unavailable at the time.
“At no time before the Dr. Bomba, Sr. experience did any other doctor perform a rectal examination on me, including in high school,” Carter’s testimony said. “Dr. Miller never penetrated my anus with his fingers during my prior physical examinations with him at IU.”
According to Carter’s testimony, he reported the incident to Knight and team trainer Bob Young. Carter later refused to get a physical performed by Bomba before the 1979-80 season and continued to voice his complaints directly to Knight whenever he saw Bomba near the team.
Carter also testified that he also reported the incident to George Taliaferro, who worked in the IU president’s office.
“I told Mr. Taliaferro that I had to have a physical with Dr. Bomba, Sr. and Dr. Bomba, Sr. “put his finger up my ass,” he stated in his testimony. “Mr. Taliaferro responded, “Bomba is a piece of s***.”
Carter testified he’s sat down for an interview that lasted more than an hour with Jones Day, the law firm IU hired to conduct an independent review of Bomba’s conduct.
Bomba, 88, spent decades working with the Indiana athletic department and was the team physician at Bloomington High School. He sat for a deposition in the case on Dec. 4 and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 45 times, according to a transcript of his testimony.
In a statement released by Indianapolis-based attorney Kathleen DeLaney, Carter said “he’s proud to come forward and I hope that other IU basketball players will come forward to share their experiences publicly.”
DeLaney also put out a statement.
“Mr. Carter reported sexual abuse by Dr. Bomba, Sr. to Coach Knight and two other IU leaders in 1979,” she said. “We cannot understand why the University allowed Dr. Bomba, Sr. to continue abusing players for two decades after Mr. Carter reported abuse.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Fifth former ex-IU basketball player accuses former team physician of abuse
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Carter's sworn testimony was submitted in federal court on Thursday as part of the ongoing class action lawsuit against the school related to Bomba’s conduct. Carter is the fifth ex-player to come forward with allegations.
Former IU players Haris Mujezinovic and Charlie Miller filed a federal class action lawsuit against the school on Oct. 15. They accused Bomba, who is not a named defendant in the suit, of subjecting them to "medically unnecessary, invasive, and sexually abusive rectal examinations.”
John Flowers and Larry Richardson have joined them as plaintiffs. An amended complaint named the program’s current and longtime head athletic trainer Tim Garl as a co-defendant.
Carter, a former team captain who played for IU from 1976-80, submitted testimony in support of the former players’ claims.
According to Carter’s testimony, Bomba performed a rectal examination on him as part of the physical in 1979. Carter testified he was required to undergo a physical during the offseason after receiving an invitation to play for USA Basketball.
His annual physical had previously been conducted Dr. Robert Miller, another physician on staff, but he was unavailable at the time.
“At no time before the Dr. Bomba, Sr. experience did any other doctor perform a rectal examination on me, including in high school,” Carter’s testimony said. “Dr. Miller never penetrated my anus with his fingers during my prior physical examinations with him at IU.”
According to Carter’s testimony, he reported the incident to Knight and team trainer Bob Young. Carter later refused to get a physical performed by Bomba before the 1979-80 season and continued to voice his complaints directly to Knight whenever he saw Bomba near the team.
Carter also testified that he also reported the incident to George Taliaferro, who worked in the IU president’s office.
“I told Mr. Taliaferro that I had to have a physical with Dr. Bomba, Sr. and Dr. Bomba, Sr. “put his finger up my ass,” he stated in his testimony. “Mr. Taliaferro responded, “Bomba is a piece of s***.”
Carter testified he’s sat down for an interview that lasted more than an hour with Jones Day, the law firm IU hired to conduct an independent review of Bomba’s conduct.
Bomba, 88, spent decades working with the Indiana athletic department and was the team physician at Bloomington High School. He sat for a deposition in the case on Dec. 4 and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 45 times, according to a transcript of his testimony.
In a statement released by Indianapolis-based attorney Kathleen DeLaney, Carter said “he’s proud to come forward and I hope that other IU basketball players will come forward to share their experiences publicly.”
DeLaney also put out a statement.
“Mr. Carter reported sexual abuse by Dr. Bomba, Sr. to Coach Knight and two other IU leaders in 1979,” she said. “We cannot understand why the University allowed Dr. Bomba, Sr. to continue abusing players for two decades after Mr. Carter reported abuse.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Fifth former ex-IU basketball player accuses former team physician of abuse
Continue reading...
