Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
A former trainer with Indiana University’s men’s basketball program is suing the school, claiming it didn’t do enough to defend him as an employee during litigation involving sexual abuse allegations against the program’s former physician.
Plaintiff Tim Garl, 69, also claims the university admitted to firing him because of his age in March 2025.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana on behalf of Garl, who served as a trainer for the men’s basketball program from 1981 until his firing in 2025.
The complaint names the Indiana Board of Trustees and IU Vice President and Athletic Director Scott Dolson as defendants.
Indiana University does not comment on litigation, Mark Bode, executive director of media relations for the university, told The Indiana Lawyer.
Dolson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Attorneys representing Garl also did not immediately respond.
In October 2024, two former IU men’s basketball players filed a lawsuit against the university, saying they were subjected to sexual abuse by former team physician Dr. Brad Bomba Sr. as players in the late 1990s. The players alleged that they were subjected to unnecessary rectal exams by Bomba, which they didn’t realize constituted sexual abuse until they spoke with other players and loved ones.
Garl, who was Bomba’s supervisor at the time, was named a co-defendant to the lawsuit in January 2025. According to the lawsuit, Garl knew Bomba was sexually abusing the players but continued to send them to him for exams.
The lawsuit was dismissed by the southern district court in April, with Judge Tanya Walton Pratt stating that the allegations were barred by a two-year statute of limitations. Despite the players arguing that the statute timer began when they discovered Bomba’s actions constituted abuse, Pratt sided with the defendants, agreeing that the timer began when the players were students at IU.
Soon after, the players appealed the dismissal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Garl’s complaint states that, when he was added as a co-defendant to the case, he sought indemnification and repayment of defense costs from the university. But the university allegedly refused unless Garl agreed to certain limitations and conditions, which are not specified in the lawsuit but are conditions Garl said violate his statutory right to indemnification and repayment of all costs and fees.
Further, Garl argues the university wrongfully fired him in March 2025 when he was informed he would be dismissed because IU wanted a “fresh start” to his position, according to court documents.
The news came as a shock to Garl due to his long service to the university and men’s basketball program and because he had recently discussed with the team’s new head coach his role on the staff. The complain noted that Garl also had been working with the coach on an off-season training and recovery plan for incoming players.
“Mr. Garl was not offered any explanation for this sudden decision but was simply told he would need to clean out his office within the week,” the complaint states.
Garl said IU tried to have him sign a release that waived any claims he may have had against the university regarding his employment.
Garl believes the “fresh start” language is the final step in a systematic campaign of intimidation and harassment by the university to force him out and replace him with a “younger, less experienced, less respected, and cheaper” head trainer, the complaint states.
The court documents also state that he believes the dismissal also is in retaliation for his refusal to take actions that violated state and federal law, NCAA rules and medical ethics. According to the lawsuit, Garl declined to share confidential medical information with the university’s sports information director.
Garl is suing IU and Dolson for violations of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as for refusing to pay fees he incurred in his defense efforts tied to the IU men’s basketball lawsuit. He is seeking monetary damages for lost income and employment benefits and wants the IU Board of Trustees to pay his full defense costs and attorneys’ fees.
Further, Garl asks that the court order the trustees to reinstate him as a team trainer.
The case is Tim Garl v. Board of Trustees of Indiana University and Scott Dolson, 1:26-cv-01677-MPB-MG.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.