INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has dismissed a case against IU Health after a judge’s ruling found the case lacking.
“The Court will not stretch the facts to fit the theory advanced by the State. There are no factual allegations from which the Court can reasonably infer that IUH’s policies, or lack thereof, have created an identifiable impending or ongoing threat to Indiana residents’ privacy interests,” U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman said in his finding.
Rokita filed a federal lawsuit in September against IU Health, claiming the state’s largest hospital system did not enforce state and federal privacy laws in connection to abortion care provided by Dr. Caitlin Bernard for a 10-year-old rape victim in 2022. The Indiana Medical Licensing Board disciplined Bernard for violating patient privacy laws.
In its dismissal filing, Rokita’s office said the case was no longer necessary because discovery had shown that IU Health had taken actions to satisfy deficiencies in its policies.
“Considering IU Health’s actions as verified from discovery during this litigation, including the most recent supplements, the State and judicial resources are better served on other matters,” the filing said.
