Judge dismisses Indiana sex abuse lawsuit
Why it matters: The dismissal means former Indiana University basketball players cannot pursue their Title IX claims against the university.
- U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the plaintiffs' argument that they only realized Bomba's actions were unlawful in 2024 was undermined by their own claims of widespread knowledge of the alleged assaults among university staff decades prior.
- Plaintiff Haris Mujezinovic expressed disappointment in the court's decision, stating the plaintiffs are weighing their options for next steps.
- Indiana University did not respond to ESPN's requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
- The plaintiffs' attorneys contended their clients were within the statute of limitations because they only recognized Bomba's actions as Title IX sexual abuse in 2024, a legal strategy that proved successful in the Ohio State University case against Dr. Richard Strauss.
- Judge Pratt differentiated her court's jurisdiction from the Ohio State case, emphasizing that knowledge of the conduct, not its unlawfulness, typically triggers the limitations period.
A federal judge dismissed a Title IX lawsuit against Indiana University filed by former men's basketball players, including Haris Mujezinovic, who alleged improper sexual conduct by former team physician Dr. Bradford Bomba due to the complaint falling outside the two-year statute of limitations. The players argued they were unaware until 2024 that Bomba's routine rectal exams constituted sexual abuse under Title IX, a claim that has seen success in other jurisdictions like the ongoing Ohio State University case involving Dr. Richard Strauss.
