PRESS RELEASE
May 21, 2026
Contact: James Bopp, Jr.
Cell Phone 812-243-0825; Phone 812-232-2434; Fax 812-235-3685; [email protected]

Irish Rover Awarded Attorney's Fees for Dismissed Defamation Suit Brought by Pro- Abortion Rights Notre Dame Professor

On Friday, May 15, Special Judge Steven David ordered Dr. Tamara Kay, former professor at Notre Dame, to pay over $200,000 in legal fees of The Irish Rover, an independent, non-profit, student publication “devoted to preserving the Catholic identity of Notre Dame,” for a frivolous defamation suit she brought against The Irish Rover.

Indiana has an “Anti-SLAPP” law which protects someone exercising their right of free speech against a frivolous suit by dismissing the case, and requires the person who filed the meritless suit to pay the attorney's fees for the defendant. After appeals that included a request of the Indiana Supreme Court, the January 2024 Anti-SLAPP dismissal of her lawsuit has been upheld, and Dr. Kay has now been ordered to pay for the legal work required to defend The Irish Rover.

The Irish Rover published two articles about Dr. Kay, each of which accurately reported on her pro-abortion access public statements and actions following the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the subsequent passage of Indiana's abortion law.

Dr. Kay sued, claiming the articles defamed her, though she had posted a sign on her Notre Dame office door which stated, “This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access— confidentially with care and compassion.” Her twitter account regularly shared information supporting her pro-abortion stance—including information about “Plan C Pills” (a common term for pills used to induce abortion, often at home). The Irish Rover contacted The Bopp Law Firm, PC, and the Firm filed an Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss.

“Dr. Kay's suit was a classic meritless attack on speech in connection with a public issue, and Indiana's Anti-SLAPP statute was created for just such situations,” says James Bopp, Jr., lead counsel for The Irish Rover. “We were happy to defend The Irish Rover's right to free speech in this case, and requiring the plaintiff to pay the defendant's legal fees gives the Anti-SLAPP statute some real teeth.”