Indiana diocese asks judge to toss jury's in vitro verdict

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) - A Roman Catholic diocese wants a federal judge to throw out a jury's verdict that it discriminated against a former teacher fired for trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization.

The Journal Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1CAy3QO ) the Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Diocese's recent court filing argues that insufficient evidence was presented during trial showing that the church discriminated against Emily Herx.

A federal judge ruled last month in Herx's favor and awarded her $1.9 million in damages. That award was later reduced to about $544,000.

Diocese officials declined to renew Herx's contract in 2011 because she had undergone the medical procedure that involves mixing eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish and transferring the resulting embryo into the womb.

Diocese attorneys say church teachings call in vitro fertilization gravely evil.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net