(The Lion) — A judge has allowed a lawsuit against the Chicago Teachers Union to move forward, as the union’s own members have been suing to demand financial transparency.
The lawsuit stems from the union’s refusal to release its audits for five years, despite its bylaws requiring it to “furnish an audited report” every year. The CTU sought to have the lawsuit dismissed in court rather than releasing the audits, but a circuit court judge denied the motion, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.
The ruling is a “significant milestone for union members seeking greater financial transparency and accountability from their leadership,” read a statement from Liberty Justice Center, which is representing the plaintiffs in court.
“This ruling lets us move forward to get the facts,” Liberty Senior Counsel Dean McGee added. “CTU members have a right to know how their dues are spent – this case is about enforcing that right, nothing more.”
The Chicago Teachers Union did not return a request by The Lion for comment on the lawsuit, but its formal response in court is expected by June 16. The union members suing the organization have repeatedly offered to drop the lawsuit if the CTU releases the full audits, as The Lion has reported.
The lawsuit is unfolding as the union’s leadership – called CORE – has been engulfed in numerous scandals – and as the union is deeply unpopular with Chicago residents. In recent polling of nearly 800 likely Chicago voters, 60% had an unfavorable view of the CTU while only 29% had a favorable one.
“Under the leadership of CORE, the Chicago Teachers Union and its affiliates have become the largest donor in Chicago politics, dishing out millions to its preferred lawmakers and candidates for mayor and school board,” Illinois Policy Institute Senior Director of Labor Policy Mailee Smith told The Lion in a statement. “Meanwhile, just 20 cents of every dollar CTU spends is on representing teachers – what should be its core focus. Chicago teachers deserve to know how their money is being spent and what causes the union supports.”
Smith added that the union’s president, Stacy Davis Gates, ran “its first ever deficit budget” in 2023.
“It’s no surprise leadership has been unwilling to make union audits available to its members, as is required in the union’s bylaws, and continued to shroud its financial decisions ahead of the recent election,” Smith said. “This ruling denied the union’s attempt to get the case thrown out. That means teachers are one step closer to seeing the full picture of CORE’s radical, political spending.”
