NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of Noblesville Schools in a lawsuit over a pro-life student club.

Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled for the district and NHS employees in each count of the lawsuit.

An NHS student and her parents sued the school, claiming leaders violated the constitution by temporarily blocking a pro-life club from meeting at the school, and for making comments on social media about it.

The school’s principal had temporarily blocked Noblesville Students for Life over posters that included a ‘Defund Planned Parenthood’ sign and concerns the group was being led by adults and not by students.

Baker said in the ruling that the student and her family “failed to show that their constitutional injury was caused by an official policy.”

This is a developing story and will be updated with further information.

• Federal judge dismisses parts of lawsuit over anti-abortion student group in Noblesville
• Lawyer for anti-abortion student group discusses lawsuit against Noblesville Schools

News release

“WASHINGTON D.C./NOBLESVILLE, IN (03-19-2024) – In light of Judge Sarah Evans Barker’s rejection of the defense of students’ First Amendment Rights at Noblesville School District, Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins called the decision ‘an insult to parents that weakens First Amendment protections by insisting that a temporary loss of rights is nothing to worry about.’ A lawsuit filed against the school district and school officials pivoted on acts of intimidation and deliberate roadblocks, including denial of a request for a Students for Life club despite a student’s effort to follow all known rules. Today, the Noblesville Students for Life is considering further legal action.

“Also of note, earlier in the process, attorneys in the case attempted to have Judge Evans Barker removed for her alleged bias in favor of abortion, an issue that could come up again on appeal. In a motion for change of judge, SFLA said: ‘Plaintiff cannot obtain a fair and impartial trial before this judge because of the personal bias and prejudice of the Honorable Sarah Evans Barker and her impartiality may fairly be questioned. … Judge Evans Barker has consistently ruled against pro-life litigants. Additionally, Judge Evans Barker is on the board of Indiana University Health, which is an abortion provider in Indiana, as well as Methodist Hospital, which also provides abortions. Not all hospitals in Indiana provide abortion services, however, the ones that Judge Evans Barker chooses to associate herself with do.’

“‘Dealing with a weaponized judicial system is a burden that unfairly falls on pro-life Americans, including in this case, a young girl in high school,’ said Hawkins.

“In her final decision, Judge Evans Baker said that a parent’s presence at meetings about the pro-life club was somehow inappropriate and that because the school board of trustees had more authority than the principal over the case, the principal was not the final voice in denying a pro-life club.

“‘We know that too many schools think parents should not have a presence or even a say in their children’s education, and, in this decision, that is extended to the mere presence of a parent at a time in which school officials were acting in ways that were intimidating to a young high school student who wanted the support for her idea,’ said Hawkins. ‘ The decision also tries to say that the violation of a student’s rights didn’t really matter because the board of trustees could have made a different call. But in depositions – as cited in the briefing – the authority to make decisions about student groups was delegated to the principal.’”

News release from the Pro-Life Generation