INDIANAPOLIS — The civil lawsuit against Curtis Hill has been withdrawn by four women who claimed he sexually assaulted them at a bar while serving as Indiana’s attorney general. This decision came just hours before jury selection was scheduled to commence on Monday.
Initially filing their case in federal court in 2019, the women transitioned to a Marion County court in 2020, alleging that Hill had committed battery and had defamed them by insisting that their accusations were unfounded. The lawsuit’s dismissal marks the end of nearly seven years of legal battles regarding Hill’s conduct at a party in March 2018, coinciding with the conclusion of that year’s legislative session, as reported by The Indianapolis Star.
In a statement released by their attorneys, the women expressed their frustration over the realization that moving forward with the trial would not lead to the resolution they desired; specifically, they sought acknowledgment from Hill regarding his misconduct and his admission of guilt for inappropriately touching each of them without consent.
The plaintiffs have been identified as Mara Candelaria Reardon, Gabrielle McLemore Brock, Samantha Lozano, and Niki DaSilva. During the 2018 party, Candelaria Reardon was serving as a Democratic state representative from Munster, Ind., while the others were employed as legislative staffers. Their decision to come forward publicly was a direct response to Hill’s repeated denials of the allegations.
In a statement issued on Monday, Hill characterized the dismissal of the case as a validation of his long-held claims of innocence. He emphasized that there was no financial settlement involved and noted that the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, signaling an end to what he described as seven years of baseless accusations that have fueled both political and personal attacks against him.
Despite Hill’s assertions of innocence, the Indiana Supreme Court imposed a 30-day suspension on his law license in 2020 after determining, based on compelling evidence, that he had committed battery against the three legislative staffers and a lawmaker during the aforementioned party. This decision followed testimonies from nine attendees of the event during Hill’s professional misconduct hearing.
The allegations significantly influenced Hill’s political aspirations, particularly during the 2020 Republican primary for attorney general, where he narrowly lost to Todd Rokita. Rokita began his term in January 2021.
Hill’s attempts to revive his political career further included a 2022 bid for a seat in the U.S. Congress, aiming to succeed Rep. Jackie Walorski, who sadly passed away in a vehicular accident. However, he was unsuccessful in securing the Republican nomination, which ultimately went to Rudy Yakym.
In the current political landscape, Hill was also a contender in this year’s Indiana gubernatorial race, participating in a packed Republican primary. Nonetheless, he was unable to secure a victory as first-term U.S. Senator Mike Braun triumphed in both the primary and the general election held in November.
