Indiana State University Sued by ACLU Over Pride Fest Decision

Indiana State University is facing legal action from the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana (ACLU) over its decision not to allow Pride Fest on campus this year.

The ACLU claims that ISU's decision violates the First Amendment rights of The Pride Center of Terre Haute, which has hosted Pride Fest on campus without issue in 2023 and 2024.

According to the lawsuit, the center applied to host the event again in 2025 but never received a response from ISU. Instead, the Human Rights Commission for the City of Terre Haute announced that Pride Fest would be held at a nearby park, without consulting The Pride Center.

The lawsuit alleges that ISU's decision is "directly related to the message conveyed by Pride Fest and represents a content- and viewpoint-based denial of Pride Center's First Amendment rights."

“Here is a public space where First Amendment activities can occur and the university is saying, ‘you can’t have your First Amendment activity here.’ It’s very disconcerting when the government closes off a public space to First Amendment activities and that’s exactly what we think is going on here,”

Said Ken Falk, legal director for the ACLU of Indiana.

The university has not responded to requests for comment.