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Page A2 Friday, May 29, 2026 INDIANAPOLIS RECORDERAdults 65+Same-day appointmentsfor current patientsDedicated care team50% moreone-on-one time with your doctor*Senior-focused primary careSchedule a tour317-268-5156MyCenterWellIndiana.comWe%u2019re Medicare-friendly! We accept Medicare plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Devoted, Humana, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Railroad, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare and Zing Health.At CenterWell%u00ae, you can count on our senior-focused primary care team to spend more time getting to know you. It%u2019s all part of our proactive approach to keep you at your healthiest. Because the more we understand your needs, the more we can deliver personalized healthcare, so you can keep doing what you love.My doctor is an excellent listener. They don%u2019t rush me through my visit.Beulah | Actual patient* Comparison based on a study published by the Oxford Academic in June 2023 stating that the average primary care exam was approximately 21 minutes. Times vary based on services performed.CenterWell does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability, age or religion in their programs and activities, including in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, their programs and activities.2026 State Democratic Convention to take place in downtown IndyBy MALIK SIMONmaliks@indyrecorder.comThe 2026 State Democratic Convention will take place Saturday, June 6, at the Indiana Convention Center and the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown located at 350 W Maryland St.Delegates from all 92 counties will attend this convention and gather to approve the party platform, conduct business and select the party%u2019s 2026 nominees for three statewide offices: secretary of state, state treasurer, and state comptroller.State Delegates are the only people eligible to vote at the State Convention on Saturday, June 6. Delegates will vote on:Candidates for secretary of state, treasurer and comptrollerRepresentation on state convention committees, including credentials, resolutions and rulesThe 2026 Indiana Democratic Party platformThe Indiana Democratic Party%u2019s (IDP) State Convention will also be open to guests and the press.Guests must fill out this form by Sunday, May 31 at 11:59 p.m. Guests must be Democrats and will be assessed a guest fee of $35. Guests can attend various meetings throughout the day such as District, Standing Committee, and Constituency Caucus meetings. During the General Session, guests will be directed to a separate section in the hall.For more information visit indems.org/2026-state-convention-central/ or click here to register as a guest for the event.Contact Staff Writer Malik Simon at 317-762-7847.By MACKENZI KLEMANNIndiana Capital ChronicleA former Ball State University employee terminated for controversial comments she made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk reached a $225,000 settlement in her First Amendment%u00a0lawsuit, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.Suzanne Swierc filed the lawsuit against Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns in%u00a0U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana%u00a0after her firing in September.Swierc%u2019s attorneys say Mearns cited a private Facebook post Swierc wrote following Kirk%u2019s death, which had gone viral on social media, in a termination letter to Swierc.The ACLU of Indiana contends the%u00a0comments%u00a0are protected speech.%u201cSuzanne was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern when Ball State fired her over a private social media post,%u201d Stevie Pactor, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, said in a statement Tuesday. %u201cThe First Amendment does not allow government institutions to retaliate in those circumstances, and this settlement reflects that.%u201dSwierc worked as director of health promotion and advocacy prior to her firing last September. She made $72,000 annually.The ACLU of Indiana issued a news release Tuesday about the settlement, which was fully executed last week.The organization says the agreement permits Swierc%u2019s former colleagues to act as references and %u201cprovides that, if asked, her supervisors will acknowledge her position contributions to health promotion and advocacy work at the university,%u201d according to the ACLU of Indiana.Mearns respondsIn a message to senior leadership on campus Tuesday, Mearns said the university %u201cprovided Ms. Swierc with a modest monetary payment.%u201d%u201cI authorized that payment, because it is substantially less than the anticipated amount of our University%u2019s legal fees to defend the case,%u201d Mearns wrote in the email, shared with the Indiana Capital Chronicle. %u201cThe settlement does not vindicate Ms. Swierc%u2019s claims, as her lawyers have stated today.%u201dMearns continued, %u201cMy decision to terminate Ms. Swierc%u2019s employment was based on the relevant facts, and it was guided by applicable First Amendment case law in the context of public education.%u201dSwierc%u2019s post drew condemnation from conservatives after it was shared to Attorney General Todd Rokita%u2019s %u201cEyes on Education%u201d portal, a state-owned site for the public to share tips about political bias in education, and circulated widely on social media.Mearns cited the %u201cincessant calls,%u201d which he described as disruptive and %u201cdistressing,%u201d the university received in the five days before Swierc%u2019s firing.%u201cOne staff member was so upset by the calls that she asked her supervisor to permit her to go home for the remainder of the workday,%u201d he wrote.In one instance, Mearns said a caller threatened an unnamed employee, %u201cWe%u2019ll be coming after you next.%u201d%u201cI knew that our colleagues all across our campus were having to endure these verbal assaults as a result of Ms. Swierc%u2019s public statement,%u201d he wrote.Ball State reaches settlement in Charlie Kirk free speech lawsuitFormer Ball State University employee Suzanne Swierc speaks at anti-Trump No Kings rally outside the Indiana Statehouse on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (Photo/Leslie Bonilla Mu%u00f1iz, Indiana Capital Chronicle)(Photo/Getty Images)