Chicago Teachers Union Refuses To Disclose Where Money Is Going, Lawsuit Alleges

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has failed to produce required financial audits disclosing how its money was spent over the past four years, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Multiple union members who work for Chicago Public Schools filed the suit alleging CTU’s most recent audit only covered the first half of 2019, despite the union constitution and bylaws requiring a yearly publication of finances, according to the lawsuit. The Liberty Justice Center sent a demand letter on Oct. 1 requesting the documents on behalf of the plaintiffs, but the union instead retaliated against the members after requesting their identity under the guise of verifying their union membership, according to a press release.

The union allegedly proceeded to use “intimidation tactics” to distract from the audit demand by publicly shaming the plaintiffs in a member-wide call and framing their efforts as “right-wing” and related to “Project 2025,” according to the press release.

“CTU members deserve to know where their money is going,” Phillip Weiss, a plaintiff in the case and CTU member since 1998, said in a statement. “After four years of silence, it’s time for transparency. This lawsuit isn’t just about us—it’s about the more than 25,000 educators across Chicago who rely on the union to uphold its commitments.”