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BLOOMINGTON — Former Indiana basketball head trainer Tim Garl filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the university’s Board of Trustees and athletic director Scott Dolson.
Garl’s suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, accuses the defendants of wrongful termination and age discrimination.
After 44 years as IU’s head trainer, Garl was let go in March 2025 , with Dolson telling him they were seeking a “fresh start” for the training staff under incoming coach Darian DeVries. Garl, who was 68 years old at the time, found this to be “shocking news,” per court documents.
According to the lawsuit filing, Garl was in active discussions with DeVries about a position on his staff and working to develop an “offseason 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 lawsuit states.
In the filing, Garl accuses Indiana of seeking to replace him “with a younger, less experienced, less respected, and cheaper Head Trainer” in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) and the Fourteenth Amendment.
Tim Garl submits letters of support from Mike Woodson, Tom Izzo and former IU players
Before filing the lawsuit, Garl was required to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They provided him with a right to sue in July 2026 after investigating the charges, but during those proceedings Indiana provided the commission a letter that noted “deficiencies” in Garl’s performance.
The school stated in the letter that Garl “consistently and repeatedly" failed to properly document his medical care and got into a “heated and inappropriate” altercation with a fellow member of the team’s medical staff.
“Garl had been made aware of these issues and had not been receptive to the feedback from his employer,” the letter states.
To counter those claims, Garl submitted signed letters of support in his lawsuit filing from the likes of former IU coach Mike Woodson, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and a group of former Hoosiers players (17 in total), including James Blackmon, Luke Goode, Calbert Cheaney, Jared Jeffries, Yogi Ferrell, Cody Zeller, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Trey Galloway.
“During my time as head coach for Men's Basketball at Indiana University, I gave Tim Garl superior performance evaluations,” Woodson wrote. “I know that he has had a positive influence on the Indiana University men’s basketball team, staff, and athletic department. Any suggestion that he is not at the top of the Athletic Training profession is completely wrong.”
Izzo, who has known Garl for four decades, stated that he sought Garl’s opinion multiple times over the years when MSU had issues — "That’s the ultimate sign of appreciation for his professionalism" — and former players echoed that sentiment.
Tim Garl seeking reinstatement, attorney fees and monetary damages
In January 2025, Garl was added as a co-defendant in a lawsuit against the school brought by former Indiana players alleging misconduct by former team physician Brad Bomba Sr. The case has since been dismissed — the plaintiffs have appealed that decision — but Garl claims the school is required to fully pay his attorney fees.
“Even though IU has agreed since August 2025 that Mr. Garl committed no bad acts and was acting within the scope of his employment,” Garl's lawsuit states. “IU has refused to pay 'all' of the costs and fees incurred by Mr. Garl.”
Prior reporting: Lawsuit by former Indiana basketball players dismissed by federal judge
Garl is also seeking reinstatement from the Board of Trustees, along with compensatory and punitive monetary damages directly from IU's athletic director. Garl is being represented in the case by attorneys from Dinsmore & Shohl, an Indianapolis-based law firm.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Former Indiana basketball trainer files lawsuit against IU, athletic director. What we know
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