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Indiana Department of Health Settles Lawsuit Over Abortion Records Access
- Logan Foster
- Feb 5
- 2 min read
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) has reached a settlement with Voices For Life, Inc. (Voices for Life), agreeing to release previously withheld abortion-related records following a legal battle over public access to these documents.
The lawsuit, filed by Voices for Life and supported by the Thomas More Society, challenged IDOH's decision to withhold Termination of Pregnancy Reports (TPRs) from public access, arguing that the records should be disclosed under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (APRA). Voices for Life claimed the information was essential for public review to ensure compliance with state abortion laws.
“The public release of these reports is a victory for vulnerable women and children in Indiana. Access to these reports will help ensure abortionists are held accountable for violating health and safety regulations. We would like to thank the Thomas More Society for their fearless defense of the unborn in this litigation, the Braun Administration for mandating transparency within the IDOH, and the Attorney General’s Office for their continued support in enforcing Indiana’s pro-life legislation.” said Melanie Lyons, Executive Director of Voices For Life in a 02/04/25 statement.
Details of the Settlement
Under the terms of the agreement, IDOH will:
Release Termination of Pregnancy Reports (TPRs): These reports will now be made available as public records upon lawful requests.
Ensure Redactions to Protect Privacy: Personal health identifiers will be redacted to protect individual privacy while maintaining all other critical data for review.
Notably, the settlement ensures that information such as patient age, residence state, facility name, abortion provider details, and reasons for abortions will not be redacted. The agreement also specifies that details concerning fetal diagnoses and post-fertilization age will be disclosed.
IDOH, while agreeing to these terms, formally denied any fault or wrongdoing.
Case Background and Outcomes
The litigation stemmed from Voices for Life's claim that the IDOH had violated transparency laws by declining to release comprehensive TPRs for public examination. The attorney representing Voices for Life, Ben Horvath, is also the Vice President of the organization's Board of Directors. Horvath also served as special counsel to the Thomas More Society, leading this legal effort.
With this settlement in place:
Voices for Life has agreed to dismiss its appeals in two related cases (49D02-2405-MI-19876 and 24A-MI-2396).
Both parties will bear their own litigation costs, including attorney fees.
Implications Moving Forward
This development is seen as a significant moment for public health transparency in Indiana, as the information now accessible could be used to verify compliance with state abortion statutes. More broadly, as this case is a win for public access, we will see if other departments will choose to become more forthcoming with public records instead of being sued into legal compliance.
Read the full "Mutual Release and Settlement Agreement" below: