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From left, Niki DaSilva, Gabrielle Brock, Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster) and Samantha Lozano filed a federal lawsuit against Curtis Hill and the state of Indiana.
FILE PHOTO: Brandon Smith/IPB NewsA federal judge dismissed a lawsuit aimed at Attorney General Curtis Hill and the state of Indiana Monday over groping allegations against Hill.
Four women – Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon (D-Munster), Gabrielle Brock, Niki DaSilva and Samantha Lozano – say the attorney general touched them inappropriately and without their consent at a 2018 party.
A special prosecutor declined to bring charges in state court. A disciplinary case against Hill is ongoing. And the women sued Hill and the state in federal court for sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation over the incident and its aftermath.
But Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson says the allegations, while describing “disgraceful and reprehensible conduct,” don’t meet the legal standard for violating any federal law or the Constitution. She writes that neither the state nor Hill are the women’s employers – and the lawsuit is largely over employment issues.
While ruling against the women, Magnus-Stinson does leave the door open for them to sue the Indiana House and Senate or file claims against Hill in state court.
Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
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