John Doe 1 v. Indiana Department of Child Services

Rush, Chief Justice.

The Indiana Department of Child Services told a child-abuse reporter that his report was confidential, but then released it without redacting his identity. The reporter and his family sued DCS based on both the statute protecting reporter anonymity and our common law. We denounce DOS’s thoughtlessness, but find no basis for liability under either theory. The statute protecting anonymity provides no private right of action—and we will not judicially infer one since the statute’s main purpose is to protect children in general and since it already provides enforcement…