AG Hill: State agencies can’t use nonbinary gender marker
Indiana agencies are not allowed to use an “X” gender designation on identification documents for residents who don’t identify as male or female, the state attorney general said.
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US Supreme Court rejects ex-cop’s appeal of rape convictions
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal for a former Oklahoma City police officer convicted of sexually assaulting black women he encountered while patrolling the city’s low-income neighborhoods.
Ex-South Bend officer justified in black man’s killing
A special prosecutor announced Friday that a white former South Bend police officer was justified in the fatal shooting of an African American man last summer and that he won’t be charged in the killing that roiled then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.
Complaint dismissed but Hill’s accusers plan to continue their fight
Chief Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson of the Southern Indiana District Court dismissed the lawsuit March 2 brought by three legislative employees and a state representative who claim they were sexually harassed by Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, then retaliated against when their allegations were made public. But the women are indicating they are prepared to continue their legal battle.
Trump says Ginsburg, Sotomayor should sit out cases, but they decide
A month before the Supreme Court takes up cases over his tax returns and financial records, President Donald Trump on Tuesday made the unusual suggestion that two liberal justices should not take part in those or any other cases involving him or his administration.
Justices to hear dispute over same-sex foster parents
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a dispute over a Philadelphia Catholic agency that won’t place foster children with same-sex couples, a big test of religious rights on a more conservative court.
Kokomo councilman ‘sorry’ for Islamophobic posts won’t resign
An Indiana city councilman whose predecessor resigned after posting Islamophobic comments online says he will not step down after he was also criticized for sharing similar views on Facebook.
Southern District to offer CLE on implicit bias
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana next month will host a training session on implicit bias in the legal environment, welcoming both experienced and young attorneys to attend.
Scrap over old Indiana gay marriage ban derails popular bill
A potential fight over whether to repeal Indiana’s obsolete ban on same-sex marriages has sidetracked a widely supported proposal to raise the state’s minimum age for getting married.
‘Social justice prosecuting’ bill advances despite widespread opposition
Despite unanimous opposition from nearly all of the organizations and individuals who testified, a bill that would allow the attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor over certain cases that a local prosecutor declines to prosecute has advanced out of an Indiana Senate committee.
Letter to the editor: Hill discipline recommendation raises race bias concerns
The Indiana Disciplinary Commission’s recommended professional sanctions against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill attests to ongoing racial disparities within the state’s legal and criminal justice system.
Religious retaliation, accommodation claims to continue against Brownsburg schools
A federal lawsuit alleging Brownsburg schools discriminated against a former teacher who refused to address transgender students by their chosen first names will continue with claims brought under Title VII, though 11 other state and federal constitutional claims against the school district were dismissed. The judge also cautioned both sides against efforts to expand the issues in the case to nonparty students.
NIPSCO paying $1 million fine over hiring complaint
A major Indiana utility company has agreed to pay a $1 million fine in settling a federal complaint that it discriminated against some 1,500 female or black job applicants.
‘Ministerial exception’ discovery motion fails in lawsuit against Indianapolis Archdiocese
A motion in a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Archdiocese to limit discovery to the question of whether a fired gay counselor falls under the First Amendment’s “ministerial exception” has been defeated in “close call” in Indiana federal court.
More languages for Indiana driver’s manual in lawsuit deal
The Indiana driver’s manual will be translated into four more languages in order to settle a federal lawsuit.
Rent-to-own housing lawsuit settlement comes at a cost
Although the legal battle with rent-to-own housing company Casas Baratas Aqui ended with what the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana calls a “groundbreaking resolution that will have national impact,” the bitterness and damage invoked by the defendants’ counterclaims continues to rankle both sides in the litigation.
Hamilton County judge rules for 4 Indiana cities in RFRA lawsuit
Four Indiana cities sued for enacting anti-discrimination ordinances that opponents alleged violated religious rights laws have won summary judgment in a lawsuit challenging Indiana’s controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
IU says it can’t fire professor for ‘bigoted’ remarks
A professor at Indiana University who defended “racist, sexist, and homophobic” comments that he posted on his social media accounts will keep his job because his views are protected under the First Amendment, university officials announced after they were bombarded with demands to fire him.
AG Hill once again moves to dismiss accusers’ civil case
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is reviving his efforts to have a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against him and the state dismissed, also filing motions this month asking a federal judge to stay all discovery.
Financial services companies unsuccessful in blocking fair housing lawsuit
A lawsuit alleging financial services companies discriminated against minority neighborhoods in 30 cities across the country, including Gary and Indianapolis, has been allowed to move forward in federal court.