Lawsuit filed by Newton parents against teachers union for illegal strike denied by judge
A class-action lawsuit filed against the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) for their historic strike was denied by a Middlesex County Superior Court judge on Tuesday.
Three families sought damages against the NTA for out-of-pocket costs they incurred for the 15-day strike and emotional distress suffered by their children.
The class-action suit, spearheaded by Lital Asher-Dotan, a mother of three, alleges that the Newton Teachers Association “knowingly, willfully, intentionally” chose to break the law by carrying out the strike, which led to the loss of 11 school days.
Judge Christopher Barry-Smith denied the motion to intervene and also readjusted the fines levied against the teacher’s union. The NTA racked up $625,000 in fines issued by the court while they hit the picket line. Judge Barry-Smith said he would reclassify $250,000 of the coercive fines already imposed as compensatory fines.
That means the NTA will pay $275,000 to Newton Public Schools as compensatory fines and $350,000 to the state as coercive fines. This settlement was sought in the return-to-work agreement negotiated to end the strike on Feb. 2, according to a union spokesperson.
“We are at an important point now to move forward with implementing the terms of our new contract, which allows us to better meet the needs of our students,” the NTA said in a statement. “The members of the NTA are also glad to see the end to the politically motivated legal actions taken against our union for going on strike. The national movement aimed at weakening educator unions and other public-sector unions is not welcome here, as it undermines advocacy for the public good.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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