Members of the Ohio Education Association (OEA), the Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, challenging the constitutionality of changes to the State Teachers Retirement Systems (STRS) board.
Ohio's biennial state budget changes the makeup of the STRS board. Starting Sept. 30, the board adds four appointed members while gradually removing the same number of elected positions.
The board has been made up of seven people elected by STRS members and four political appointees. By the end of the month, political appointees will outnumber the elected members, an OEA spokesperson said.
The teachers' associations believe the change is illegal, in part because Ohio's other four public pension system boards were not changed.
The lawsuit also said the change violated two rules for passing laws: one that requires a bill to be considered by each house on three different days, and one that says no bill should contain more than one subject.
The suit names the current STRS board and its individual members, along with Gov. Mike DeWine, Atty. Gen. Dave Yost, Speaker of the House Matt Huffman, President of the Ohio Senate Rob McColley and others.
The case seeks an injunction to stop the change from taking place. Teachers also want the change to be declared unconstitutional.
