The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana announced today that Jane Henegar will retire from her position as executive director effective January 1, 2024, or as soon as a successor is found. Henegar, a former Deputy Mayor for the City of Indianapolis, was hired in 2012 and has significantly grown the impact of the organization.
“As a born and raised Hoosier, Jane has dedicated her life to creating a more equitable and just Indiana,” said Tamara Winfrey-Harris, president of the ACLU of Indiana Board of Directors. “Over her more than 10 years leading the ACLU of Indiana, her expertise as an attorney and her passion as an advocate for equality and civil liberties have inspired both the staff and the Board and have generated positive change throughout Indiana. We are grateful that she has agreed to stay on to help us transition to new leadership for the affiliate.”
Henegar has skillfully steered the organization to meet the demands and opportunities of the era. Under her leadership, the ACLU of Indiana secured the right to same-sex marriage for Hoosiers, defended abortion access and immigrant rights, protected voting rights, and demanded criminal legal reform and equality for all. The organization has more than doubled its staff and quadrupled its membership. Now, over 200,000 supporters engage with the organization on an ongoing basis. With the affiliate’s expanded power and resources, the ACLU of Indiana can invest in making and sustaining important and lasting change for people across the State. Henegar has led the organization through times of enormous challenge by building coalitions, navigating the ever-changing social and political landscape, and remaining persistent, resilient, and true to the ACLU’s mission of fairness, freedom, and equality for all.
Said Winfrey-Harris, “Her strategic approach, her eloquence with the written and spoken word, her thorough grasp of the law, her ability to hire people of great talent, and her instincts for forging alliances, have positioned the organization and new leadership for even greater growth and impact in the future.”
“The ACLU has a unique and essential role in pushing America to fulfill its promise and potential. I am fortunate to have been a small part of that incredibly important work,” stated Henegar. “It has been an honor working with such smart, dedicated, and good-hearted people. Because of the talented and relentless team we have, I know the ACLU of Indiana will continue to protect the rights and dignity of our fellow Hoosiers. I leave confident in the ACLU of Indiana’s dedication to its mission to hold government accountable to the promises of the U.S. Constitution long after my departure.”
During Henegar’s tenure with the ACLU of Indiana, some of the organization’s many notable accomplishments include:
Fighting for LGBTQ Rights: The ACLU of Indiana joined with several local and national LGBTQ rights organizations and Hoosier businesses to create Freedom Indiana, a statewide campaign working for equality for LGBTQ Hoosiers. The Freedom Indiana campaign defeated a ban on same-sex marriage and eliminated the discriminatory impact of the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that caused a national outcry in 2015. From this critical work, the ACLU of Indiana LGBTQ Rights Project was born.
Defending Abortion Access: The ACLU of Indiana has led the defense of reproductive rights in Indiana, including nine reproductive rights related lawsuits, two of which are currently blocking Indiana’s abortion ban. Simultaneously, the organization has launched a public education campaign, “Let’s Talk About Abortion,” which aims to equip Hoosiers to speak openly about abortion access in Indiana.
Protecting Voting Rights: The ACLU of Indiana stopped several voter restriction bills in the statehouse, blocked an illegal voter purge law in the courts, and runs an election-year campaign, “Yes! You Can Vote!” to inform individuals of their rights at the ballot box.
Demanding Criminal Legal Reform: The ACLU of Indiana has identified and fought against patterns of jail overcrowding and inhumane housing conditions across Indiana jails and prisons. In recent years the organization filed lawsuits on behalf of 25+ men who were kept in isolation and subjected to brutal and dangerous conditions at Miami County Correctional Facility.
Defending Immigration Rights: The ACLU of Indiana secured a legal victory in Exodus Refugee Immigration v. Pence, successfully challenging the Governor’s “suspension” of the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Indiana.
Demanding Policing Reform: During a time of national turmoil, the ACLU of Indiana worked alongside community partners to demand that Indianapolis and other Indiana cities reimagine the role police play and provide transparency in their use of surveillance technology. Along with community partners in Indianapolis, our efforts created a civilian-led use-of-force board and reforms that included a use-of-force continuum that bans chokeholds and requires exhaustion of all alternatives before shooting. The organization has worked in partnership with the Indiana Business and Community Partnership for Racial Equity to move important reform forward.
The Board of Directors of the ACLU of Indiana has engaged Kittleman & Associates to conduct a nationwide search for a new Executive Director.
