Indiana diocese wants ex-teacher’s jury award cut

A northern Indiana Roman Catholic diocese wants to reduce a jury's nearly $2 million award to a former teacher fired by church officials for trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization.

A motion filed Monday by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend seeks to cut Emily Herx's federal jury award to about $300,000, arguing that such damages are partly capped by the size of the diocese's workforce.

The Journal Gazette reports diocese attorneys argue state law caps pain-and-suffering damages at $300,000 for employers with more than 500 employees and states that the diocese has more than 870 teachers alone.

Herx's attorneys filed a motion Monday seeking more than $560,000 in damages.

A jury awarded Herx $1.9 million on Dec. 19 after finding that diocese officials discriminated against her.