Columbus, OH – On Monday, The Buckeye Institute filed a lawsuit on behalf of ten hardworking Ohio public employees who have had money illegally taken out of their paychecks by their employers and given to a government union. Darling v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was filed in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

“In Janus v. AFSCME, the U.S. Supreme Court clearly stated that the First Amendment protects public employees from being forced to ‘subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern’ without consent,” said Jay R. Carson, senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute and the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs in the case. “But, once again, the government unions are trying to claim that these public servants—whom everyone acknowledges are no longer members of the union—are nonetheless obligated to continue paying union dues. Ohio law simply does not allow this unethical practice, and we are asking the court to tell the unions and the government to stop illegally taking money from these workers’ paychecks.”

The Buckeye Institute represents ten public employees from across Ohio:

• Lukas Darling of Campbell was a property enforcement officer for the Boardman Township Planning and Zoning Department. He was a member of AFSCME before he resigned on November 4, 2020.
• Tonya Iannarino of Toledo is an OMB specialist for Toledo Public Schools. She was a member of AFSCME before she resigned on November 13, 2020.
• Chelsea Kolacki of Toledo is an office assistant for the Maumee City School District. She was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees before she resigned on September 24, 2020.
• Kristy Kolacki of Toledo is a secretary for the Maumee City School District. She was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees before she resigned on September 24, 2020.
• Laura Langsdale of Akron is a custodian for the Springfield Local School District. She was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees before she resigned on October 20, 2020.
• Barb Larrow of Maumee is a bus driver for Toledo Public Schools. She was a member of AFSCME before she resigned on March 11, 2021.
• Ronnie Legg of Galloway is a driver for the Columbus City School District. He was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees before he resigned on August 20, 2020.
• Deborah Pinion of Upper Sandusky is a highway technician with the Ohio Department of Transportation. She was previously a member of AFSCME before she resigned on March 20, 2020.
• Stephen Tulga of Columbus is a bus driver for the Upper Arlington City School District. He was a member of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees before he resigned on May 6, 2021.
• Christin Wilkins of Bowling Green was an eighth-grade science teacher for the Columbus City School District. She was a member of the Ohio Education Association before she resigned on August 25, 2020.

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