Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana held the City of Loogootee in contempt for failing to comply with a prior court order barring enforcement of unconstitutional provisions in the city’s special events ordinance.
The challenged ordinance was part of the city’s effort to prevent Loogootee PrideFest from taking place in the city’s Public Square area. In August 2025, the Court ruled that several provisions of Loogootee’s special events ordinance violated the Constitution and permanently enjoined the city from enforcing them. But in December 2025, the city enacted a new ordinance that included those same enjoined provisions. A January 2026 amendment to that ordinance removed only one of those unconstitutional provisions, leaving another in place.
The Court has now given Loogootee 15 days to repeal or replace the ordinance, and it will be fined $500 for each day it remains out of compliance. The city was also ordered to pay the attorneys’ fees and costs the ACLU of Indiana incurred in seeking the contempt finding.
“Compliance with court orders is an essential part of our judicial process,” said Ken Falk, Legal Director of the ACLU of Indiana. “No city or government official is above the law. While we are disappointed that contempt proceedings were even necessary, we hope this decision leads Loogootee to comply with the Constitution.”
A copy of the Court’s order is available here.
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