Tamara Kay, former Notre Dame professor who sued the Irish Rover for defamation in 2023, has been ordered to pay over 200,000 dollars to the Rover to cover attorneys fees. The trial court, which originally dismissed Kay’s lawsuit in 2024, ruled on May 15, 2026 that the plaintiff must pay defendant Irish Rover’s attorneys fees at a sum of 204,000.80 dollars.
Tamara Kay filed suit against the Irish Rover on May 22, 2023 for defamation on the grounds of two articles: W. Joseph DeReuil’s October 2022 piece titled “Keough School Professor Offers Abortion Access to Students”and Luke Thompson’s March 2023 article titled “Tamara Kay Explains Herself to Notre Dame Democrats.”
The Rover filed to dismiss this suit according to Indiana Anti-SLAPP laws, which are designed to quickly dismiss frivolous suits thought to purposefully intimidate individuals or organizations. Special Judge Steven David of the St. Joseph County Superior Court granted this dismissal, finding that the Rover’s reporting was “true” and “not made with actual malice.” In accordance with Anti-SLAPP protections, Kay was ordered to pay for the Rover’s attorney fees.
After two unsuccessful appeals to the Court of Appeals of Indiana and the Indiana Supreme Court, and a February 2026 virtual hearing to determine the extent of damages, Kay is finally required to pay the Rover’s legal fees for both the initial dismissal case and the subsequent appeals.
This sum exceeding 200,000 dollars comes despite an affidavit presented by the plaintiff alleging the value of the defense is in the range of 50,000 to 70,000 dollars. Meanwhile, the defense claims the actual value of attorney time and labor to be around 255,000 dollars. Ultimately, the court ordered Tamara Kay to pay the sum of 200,000 dollars to compensate the defense’s legal fees. .
James Bopp, Jr., lead counsel for the Irish Rover, told the Rover he was happy with the settlement. It is common in cases like this, he says, to receive approximately 80 percent of the requested amount.
In a statement produced by James Bopp Law Firm, Bopp writes, “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.” He continues, “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.”
Kay has 30 days from the date of the decision, May 15, to pay the amount or appeal this order.
Kay did not immediately respond to the Rover’s request for comment.