Lafayette adds transgender antidiscrimination protections
The Lafayette City Council has approved antidiscrimination protections for transgender people.
civil rights
Articles
South Bend family questions $18 award for police abuse
The family of a black teenager who was punched and handcuffed by three South Bend police officers then subdued with a stun gun in a case of mistaken identity is questioning why jurors awarded them just $18 in a lawsuit accusing the officers of violating his constitutional rights.
Lafayette gives preliminary approval to gender ID protection
The Lafayette City Council has given preliminary approval to adopt antidiscrimination protection for transgender people.
North Carolina leaders show no sign of surrender on LGBT law
North Carolina's Republican leaders are showing no signs of backing down from their new bathroom rules despite the U.S. Justice Department's declaration that they violate federal civil rights laws and could cost the state dearly in lost education funding.
Ex-judge must take anger-management classes
A former Maryland judge who pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation for ordering a defendant to be physically shocked in his courtroom will have to take anger-management classes as part of his sentence.
Pence names former Indianapolis police chief Hite to post
The former chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department will now head the Indiana Civil Rights Commission following an appointment by Gov. Mike Pence.
Indiana House committee tosses hate-crimes bill
Legislation creating the state’s first hate-crime law to help victims targeted because of their race, sexual identity, religion or other specified characteristic is expected to die because it won’t get a committee hearing in the House, leaving lawmakers few options to address civil rights this year.
Indiana business community fears fallout from gay rights failure
Indiana corporate leaders warned that the failure of the Republican-controlled Legislature to enact a law protecting gay, lesbian and bisexual people from discrimination could rebound on business, making it harder to recruit talented employees and sell the state as an attractive place to live.
Gay rights bill dies after author withdraws legislation
The Indiana Senate won’t act on a controversial bill meant to extend some civil rights to gay and lesbian Hoosiers, effectively killing the legislation for the session.
Indiana lawmakers face deadline to keep bills alive
Indiana lawmakers have days to decide whether to keep certain contentious bills alive during this legislative session, including one that would extend civil rights protections to gays and lesbians, but not transgender people, one that would use a tax increase to fund road improvements and one that would further restrict the sale of cold medicines used to make methamphetamine.
Senate leader says gay rights bill to be called for a vote
A bill that would extend civil rights protections to lesbian, gay and bisexual — but not transgender — people will be voted on by the Indiana Senate next week, even if it goes down in defeat.
Gay-rights bill that leaves out transgender protections advances
A Senate committee on Wednesday narrowly advanced a bill that would extend civil rights protections to gay and lesbian Hoosiers but punt the issue of transgender discrimination to a summer study committee, as well as offer religious exemptions for clergy and other groups.
Pence says he won’t support LGBT bill that ‘diminishes’ religious freedom
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in his State of the State speech Tuesday night finally addressed the most contentious issue at the Statehouse this year – how to balance religious freedom with civil rights for LGBT people – but his statements left unclear whether he would sign any of the bills proposed so far during this General Assembly.
Fired paramedic with diabetes settles discrimination case
A former fire department paramedic has settled a civil rights claim for $725,000 after being fired because of two health episodes related to diabetes, her attorneys announced Saturday.
Officer’s mistrial in Baltimore death a letdown for both sides
As jurors deliberated the fate of one of six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore braced for a possible repeat of the protests, destruction and dismay that engulfed the city in April, when Gray died of a broken neck in the back of a police van. But instead of a dramatic conclusion, there was confusion.
Anderson latest city to pass local gay rights ordinance
Officials in another Indiana city have approved banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity ahead of an expected debate in the state Legislature over whether to pass a statewide law that supersedes any local ordinance.
Suit challenges constitutionality of RFRA fix, local gay rights laws
The “RFRA fix” passed in April to quell discrimination fears about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is now being challenged as unconstitutional by two organizations that were the most vocal proponents of the original legislation.
150 businesses in group pushing for Indiana LGBT protections
A large coalition of Indiana businesses is calling on Republican Gov. Mike Pence and the GOP-controlled Legislature to put LGBT civil rights protections into state law.
Some Indiana cities worry about impact of proposed LGBT bill
Officials in some Indiana cities with ordinances that provide protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents are worried that a bill lawmakers will consider in the 2016 session could undermine their local authority.
GOP bill on Indiana LGBT rights has religious exemptions
Indiana Senate Republicans released a proposal Tuesday that would extend state civil rights protections to LGBT people while also carving out broad exemptions for religious institutions and some small businesses that object to working with gay people.