A federal judge has found the City of Loogootee in contempt of court for failing to comply with a previous ruling involving the city’s special events ordinance. According to an order issued March 10 by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Evansville Division, the court determined the city violated a prior permanent injunction related to Ordinance 2025-14. The ordinance was originally challenged after it was used in an effort to block the Loogootee PrideFest event from taking place in the city’s Public Square. In August 2025, the court ruled that several provisions of Loogootee’s special events ordinance were unconstitutional and barred the city from enforcing them. However, the city later adopted a new ordinance that included provisions the court had already prohibited. The court has now ordered Loogootee to revoke Ordinance 2025-14 within 15 days of the March 10 order. If the ordinance is not revoked within that time, the city will face a $500 per day fine until it complies. The city must also submit any proposed replacement ordinance to the court for review before it is issued. In addition, the court ruled that the plaintiff, Patoka Valley AIDS Community Action Group, Inc., is entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs related to the contempt motion.
City officials have previously stated the ordinance was not designed to prevent any specific group from hosting events. In earlier statements, the city said the rules limit events within a certain distance of the downtown Public Square and instead encourage organizers to use a nearby green space designed for community gatherings. The city notes that the area is used for events such as SummerFest, family movie nights, Halloween activities, and Christmas events, and includes a stage and seating. In a 2024 statement, the city also said it had not denied a permit for PrideFest but had concerns about hosting large private events in the downtown area due to factors such as street closures, safety, insurance requirements, and impacts on nearby businesses.
