Former Indiana AG won't go to trial over groping allegations after civil lawsuit dropped

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A civil lawsuit filed against Indiana's former attorney general over groping allegations was dropped before going to trial this week.

The four women who sued Curtis Hill dropped the lawsuit on Sunday, less than a day before the former attorney general was set to go to trial.

A former Indiana state representative and three legislative staffers accused Hill of drunkenly groping them at a bar in 2018, while he was still in office.

They filed a lawsuit, which was dismissed by a judge because Hill wasn't their employer, and said there was no basis for a federal sexual harassment claim.

Hill has repeatedly denied the accusations and no criminal charges were ever filed.

In 2020, the Indiana Supreme Court found "clear and convincing evidence that Hill committed the criminal act of battery" and suspended his law license for 30 days.

That same year, his accusers filed a civil lawsuit against Hill, this time in state court, after their first suit was dismissed.

Hill was scheduled to go to trial in that lawsuit on Monday. The suit sought damages for both mental anguish and emotional distress.

In a statement, Hill said he was notified of the dismissal by his lawyer Sunday afternoon and "agreed that the case had no merit and should be dismissed."

"There was no financial settlement. There were no conditions for dismissal. The case against me was dismissed with prejudice by each of the plaintiffs, thus ending this odyssey of unfounded allegations that have dogged me for nearly seven years and have served as the fuel for political and personal attacks against me," Hill's statement continued.

One of the plaintiffs of the lawsuit released a statement on Monday that said "We decided that even if we won at trial, we would not accomplish our goals of causing meaningful change in the way sexual harassment claims are handled for those working in and around the Statehouse."

Last month, the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus pushed for "immediate changes to policy" after the state's Senate minority leader, Sen. Greg Taylor, who represents Indiana's 33rd District, was accused of sexual harassment.

Two legislative staffers reportedly had "unwanted physical contact" with Taylor, who represents Indiana's 33rd District. An intern also claimed Taylor continually pursued a romantic relationship.

The allegations came to light in an investigation by Indianapolis newspaper The Indy Star, but didn't cost Taylor his leadership position as he was reelected by the Democrats as Senate minority leader amid the release of that investigation.

In a statement at the time, Taylor said "I may have blurred the lines and behaved in a manner that potentially made my colleagues, or those who witnessed my actions, uncomfortable. While it was never my intent to cause harm, I acknowledge that I have fallen short, and for this I apologize."

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