Haris Mujezinovic individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Charlie Miller individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, John Flowers, Larry Richardson, Jr. v. Trustees of Indiana University, Tim Garl

CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Indiana
DecidedMarch 31, 2026
Docket1:24-cv-01827
StatusUnknown

This text of Haris Mujezinovic individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Charlie Miller individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, John Flowers, Larry Richardson, Jr. v. Trustees of Indiana University, Tim Garl (Haris Mujezinovic individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Charlie Miller individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, John Flowers, Larry Richardson, Jr. v. Trustees of Indiana University, Tim Garl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Haris Mujezinovic individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Charlie Miller individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, John Flowers, Larry Richardson, Jr. v. Trustees of Indiana University, Tim Garl, (S.D. Ind. 2026).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION

HARIS MUJEZINOVIC individually and on ) behalf of all others similarly situated, ) CHARLIE MILLER individually and on behalf of ) all others similarly situated, ) JOHN FLOWERS, ) LARRY RICHARDSON, JR., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) Case No. 1:24-cv-01827-TWP-MG ) TRUSTEES OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY, ) TIM GARL, ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) JOSEPH T. BOMBA, ) ) Interested Party. )

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS' MOTIONS TO DISMISS This matter is before the Court on Motions to Dismiss filed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) by Defendant the Trustees of Indiana University (the "University") (Filing No. 142) and pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) by Defendant Tim Garl ("Garl") (Filing No. 140) (together, "Defendants"). Plaintiffs Haris Mujezinovic ("Mujezinovic"), Charlie Miller ("Miller"), John Flowers ("Flowers"), and Larry Richardson Jr. ("Richardson"), (collectively, "Plaintiffs"), all attended Indiana University ("IU") in the 1980s and 1990s and played on the men's basketball team. Sadly, each of these men was subjected to unnecessary, invasive, and traumatic rectal examinations by team doctor Joseph T. Bomba, Sr. ("Bomba"). In 2024, Plaintiffs initiated this putative class action against the University and the Head Men's Basketball Trainer (and Bomba's supervisor), Garl, alleging that Defendants had knowledge of Bomba's years-long abuse yet did nothing to stop it. Plaintiffs assert claims against the University under Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681–89 ("Title IX"), against Garl under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ("Section 1983") for violations of the Fourteenth Amendment, and against both Defendants under Indiana state law. Defendants move to dismiss Plaintiffs' federal

and state law claims on several grounds. For the reasons explained below, the Court grants both Motions to Dismiss because Plaintiffs' federal claims are time barred and because the Court relinquishes supplemental jurisdiction over the remaining state law claims. I. BACKGROUND The following facts are not necessarily objectively true, but as required when reviewing a motion to dismiss, the Court accepts as true all factual allegations in the Complaint and draws all inferences in favor of Plaintiffs as the non-moving parties. See Bielanski v. Cnty. of Kane, 550 F.3d 632, 633 (7th Cir. 2008). These background facts are not intended to provide a comprehensive explanation of all the facts presented in this case; rather, they provide the background relevant to the issues before the Court. Plaintiffs and their teammates must unfortunately add their names to an ever-growing list

of student-athletes who were subjected to "routine, systemic sexual assaults and sex-based harassment under the guise of medical care." (Filing No. 132 ¶¶ 7–8). Flowers (1981–82), Miller (1994–98), Mujezinovic (1995–97), and Richardson (1995–2000) all played basketball for IU. Id. ¶¶ 1–6. All were abused by Bomba, who served as IU's team physician for nearly thirty years. IU first contracted with Bomba in 1962 to provide medical services to all its sports teams, which he did until 1970. In 1979, IU contracted with Bomba to serve as the men's basketball team physician, a position he held for several decades. Id. ¶¶ 9–10. Bomba's supervisor was Defendant Garl, who was (and remains) IU's Head Men's Basketball Trainer. Id. ¶¶ 51–52. Physical examinations were an unavoidable part of participating on IU men's basketball team. As a condition for participation in any sports program, students were required to submit to annual physical examinations with doctors chosen and provided by IU. Id. ¶¶ 55–60. Students' medical information, including annual physical examination forms, were maintained by the IU

Athletics Department. Id. ¶¶ 61–63. IU did not allow its players to choose their physicians. Id. ¶ 69. Garl assigned each men's basketball player to a physician (Bomba being one) and Mujezinovic, Miller, Flowers, and Richardson were each assigned to Bomba. Plaintiffs were therefore forced to choose between enduring Bomba's examinations or "abandoning their chance to play for a highly prestigious basketball program and complete their education." Id. ¶ 15. In 1979 (before Plaintiffs attended IU), an unnamed men's basketball player complained about Bomba's penetrative rectal examinations to then-Head Coach Bob Knight ("Knight"), then- athletic trainer Bob Young ("Young"), and former University football player George Taliaferro ("Taliaferro") who then worked in the President's Office. Id. ¶ 64. Knight responded that the player was required to attend a physical and took no action to address the player's complaints. Young

assured the player that anal penetration was part of a "normal exam." Taliaferro only responded that Bomba was "a piece of sh[*]t." Id. ¶¶ 65–68. Plaintiffs allege that Knight, Young, and Taliaferro were all "officials with authority to take corrective action to end Dr. Bomba's discriminatory sexual assaults," but despite having knowledge of Bomba's conduct as early as 1979, none of them took any action. Id. ¶¶ 120–21. Plaintiffs also allege that other officials "with authority to take corrective action" knew of the alleged assaults "by means of their access to student-athletes' medical records" but likewise took no action. Id. ¶ 122. In 1981, as a nineteen-year-old freshman, Flowers was assigned to see Bomba. Garl assigned Flowers to see Bomba for both of his annual physical examinations during Flowers' two years at IU. During each examination, Bomba subjected Flowers to "medically unnecessary, invasive, harassing, and demeaning digital rectal penetration." Id. ¶¶ 83–85. After this first

physical, Flowers' teammates told him he had "passed" Bomba's "test" and would not have to undergo the penetration again. "Garl laughed at Flowers and his freshman teammates and made jokes at their expense regarding the digital rectal penetration they were forced to endure." Id. ¶ 86. The next year, despite his teammates' "assurances," Flowers was again forced to endure Bomba's penetrative rectal examination. Id. ¶ 87. Miller was first assigned to see Bomba in 1994, when he was seventeen years old. As he did with Flowers, Garl assigned Miller to see Bomba for all his annual physical examinations. At each of his four physical examinations, Miller was subjected to the same "medically unnecessary, invasive, harassing, and demeaning" penetration as Flowers. Id. ¶¶ 79–81. Mujezinovic learned of his first appointment with Bomba in 1995, upon entering the men's

locker room and seeing his name next to Bomba's on the schedule for physical examinations. When Mujezinovic's teammates saw that he was assigned to Bomba, they "warned Mujezinovic to prepare for 'the finger.' Players also commented on the size of Dr. Bomba, Sr.'s hands and fingers," although Mujezinovic did not understand these comments at the time. Id. ¶ 71. Mujezinovic's physical examination was at first routine, but "[w]ithout warning, [Bomba] digitally penetrated Mujezinovic's rectum under the guise of performing a prostate examination." Id. ¶ 72. Mujezinovic was later directed by IU to see Bomba for a follow-up appointment, during which Bomba "digitally extracted a stool sample from Mujezinovic" without giving Mujezinovic an opportunity to provide the sample by other less invasive means. Id. ¶ 74.

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Haris Mujezinovic individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Charlie Miller individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, John Flowers, Larry Richardson, Jr. v. Trustees of Indiana University, Tim Garl, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/haris-mujezinovic-individually-and-on-behalf-of-all-others-similarly-insd-2026.