FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP): The Fort Wayne-South Bend Catholic Dioceses wants a federal judge to throw out a jury's verdict that discriminated against former teacher, Emily Herx, who was fired for trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization.
 
The Journal Gazette reports the diocese's recent court filing argues that insufficient evidence was presented during trial showing that the church discriminated against Herx.
 
A federal judge ruled last month in Herx's favor and awarded her $1.9 million in damages. That award was later reduced to about $544,000.
 
Diocese officials declined to renew Herx's contract in 2011 because she had undergone the medical procedure that involves mixing eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish and transferring the resulting embryo into the womb.
 
Diocese attorneys say church teachings call in vitro fertilization gravely evil.