The College Fix

Student newspaper ‘based its information on reliable sources,’ including professor’s own statements: ruling

An Indiana appeals court has sided with a conservative student newspaper in a case in which a pro-abortion professor at the University of Notre Dame alleged defamation.

In a unanimous decision last week, the Court of Appeals of Indiana rejected Professor Tamara Kay’s lawsuit, determining that The Irish Rover’s reports about her abortion advocacy were “in good faith” and had “reasonable basis in law and fact.”

“The Irish Rover based its information on reliable sources, particularly as the source for most of the information was gleaned from Dr. Kay’s own statements, her social media, and publications,” the three-judge panel wrote.

Kay appealed after a lower court dismissed her lawsuit last year, but the appeals court upheld the original ruling in favor of the Catholic student newspaper.

“Here, we agree with the trial court that the undisputed facts established that The Irish Rover’s two articles were written in good faith and that the alleged defamatory statements were not false,” the judges wrote in their Jan. 30 ruling.

Responding to the ruling, the Rover editors reiterated an earlier statement that their reports were “fair and accurate in all respects.”

“The record will confirm this beyond dispute. The Rover will not apologize for just and truthful reporting that helps Our Lady’s University stay true to its Catholic mission,” they stated.

Kay is a sociology professor at the Catholic university, and she supports abortion.

The Rover articles about her date back to 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Indiana began enforcing its elective abortion ban.

The two articles “made a reasonable inference” from Kay’s statements that she “would assist a student by procuring abortion pills for that student,” according to the appeals court ruling.

For example, the Rover cited a tweet by Kay that read, “Will help as a private citizen if you have issues w access or cost. DM me.”

“She also tweeted links to organizations providing Plan B and Plan C abortifacient pills,” the judges wrote.

The Rover also reported about her speaking at a university panel about supporting abortion, and her placing a “J” on her door that appeared to be a sign of her willingness to help students get abortions.

Kay told the court that the “J” sign on her door “pertained to student sexual assaults” and not abortion, according to the ruling.

MORE: Conservative Notre Dame publication will fight pro-abortion professor’s lawsuit

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IMAGE: Rebecca D Lev/Shutterstock

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