Lauren Spierer Update: Mother Reacts to Judge's Dismissal of Lawsuit

Lauren Spierer’s mother, Charlene, says the family will continue to pursue legal action against two of the men who last saw the missing Indiana University student in 2011. Her announcement comes a day after Indianapolis federal court judge Tanya Walton Pratt dismissed the family’s civil claim against Corey Rossman and Jason “Jay” Rosenbaum.
“We were disappointed with the decision, however, we plan to file an appeal,” she wrote in an email to IM. “For us, it is about looking forward to what we can do, not dwelling on what we cannot change.”
The Spierers’ suit alleged that Rossman and Rosenbaum shared liability in Lauren’s disappearance by providing alcohol to the underage woman after she was already intoxicated.
It was the Spierers’ hope that the court would compel the two defendants to disclose additional information about the morning Lauren disappeared. The lawsuit had also opened the possibility that statements the men gave to police shortly after the disappearance—which weren’t revealed to the Spierers or to the public—would come to light during the civil proceedings.
“I am heartbroken that the defendants and their team of defense lawyers will not allow the Spierers to get a simple question answered: What happened to their daughter that night?” said Jason Barclay, the Spierers’ attorney, in a statement released after the judge’s decision. “We will appeal and continue our pursuit of answers to that important question.”
Despite the setback, Charlene Spierer remains resolute. “We will continue to search for any information which will lead us to answers in Lauren’s disappearance,” she wrote.