Court: BIA owes damages for officer impregnating woman

By AMY BETH HANSON
Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Supreme Court has found the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs can be held responsible for damages awarded to a Montana woman who became pregnant after an on-duty BIA officer used the threat of criminal charges to coerce her into having sex. The woman sued over the October 2015 sexual assault on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. A federal judge awarded her $1.6 million in damages, but said the BIA could not be held responsible because the coercion was outside of the officer’s duties. Under Montana law, an employer can be held liable for an employee’s actions when they have a duty to provide protection.