Teacher Who Didn’t Want to Fund Pro-Abortion Union Settles Lawsuit 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 7, 2004
Springfield, MA (LifeNews.com) — A gym teacher in Massachusetts has settled a lawsuit with teachers unions over his refusal to fund the pro-abortion agencies. Gerard O’Brien was suspended twice for failing to pay required dues to a union he didn’t belong even though he objected to their policies backing abortion.
O’Brien filed the lawsuit in 2002 against the Springfield Education Association, Massachusetts Teachers Association and National Education Association, according to a report in the Springfield Republican newspaper.
In the suit, O’Brien said requiring him to pay dues to the groups violated his Catholic religious beliefs.
Though O’Brien, who teaches physical education to disabled students throughout the Springfield school district, was not a member of either of the three unions, he was required to pay union dues to be a part of collective bargaining.
The Springfield Education Association does not support abortion, but the NEA and its Massachusetts chapter do.
The national teacher’s group came under fire in April for co-sponsoring the national march for abortion. The NEA’s Washington headquarters also served as a hospitality center for participants in the pro-abortion event.
State affiliates, such as New Jersey’s chapter, sent busloads of teachers to the march.
According to the Springfield newspaper, about $9,000 of O’Brien’s past dues will go into an account and be paid to Open Pantry Community Services, a local anti-hunger charity. Future payments of O’Brien’s dues will also be sent to Open Pantry.
The unions will also pay part of O’Brien’s attorneys fees and restore his lost salary.
The NEA has also come under fire for taking leadership positions in pro-abortion organizations.
Randall Moodey, the top NEA lobbyist, is an original board member and the treasurer for Planned Parenthood’s political action committee that funds pro-abortion candidates.
ACTION: Contact the NEA with your thoughts at NEA, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036-3290, (p) (202) 833-4000, (f) (202) 822-7974, or by email at https://www.nea.org/contact.html
Related web sites:
Teachers Saving Children – https://www.teacherssavingchildren.org
NEA – https://www.nea.org
