Columbus, OH – The Buckeye Institute filed its fourth lawsuit against the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) for its refusal to stop taking money out of the paychecks of public employees who are not members of the government unions. The Buckeye Institute filed Vanderveer v. OAPSE in the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas on behalf of Katrina Vanderveer. 

“In yet another case, the Ohio Association of Public School Employees has refused to stop taking ‘dues’ out of our client’s paycheck,” said Jay R. Carson, senior litigator at The Buckeye Institute and an attorney representing Mrs. Vanderveer. “As in our other cases, The Buckeye Institute is asking the court to order the government union to stop its illegal wage theft.”

For 10 years, Katrina Vanderveer has worked with high schoolers as a paraprofessional, and for the past three years, she has worked at Pike-Delta-York High School in the Pike-Delta-York Local School District, helping teachers and students. Helping these students isn’t just a job for Mrs. Vanderveer; it is a calling and a way to serve her community and its kids. 
 
Mrs. Vanderveer’s saga to quit the union started almost as soon as she joined—something she thought she was required to do. In June 2024, she sent a letter to the union notifying them that, effective immediately, she was quitting the union and demanding that the union stop taking dues from her paycheck. The union refused her request and informed Mrs. Vanderveer that her opt-out window to end dues deductions started on October 4. On October 4, 2024, Mrs. Vanderveer sent another letter as the union instructed. However, despite being told this was when her opt-out window was open, the government union again refused to stop taking money out of her paycheck. In addition to numerous calls and emails, Mrs. Vanderveer sent another letter on November 12 and another on December 9. The government union was utterly unhelpful, to the point that Mrs. Vanderveer questioned whether the union was drawing this out intentionally. 

All Mrs. Vanderveer is asking is for OAPSE to stop stealing money from her paycheck and return the money illegally taken from her since she quit the union in June 2024. In Vanderveer v. OAPSE, The Buckeye Institute is asking the court to order the government unions to:

• Stop taking money out of Mrs. Vanderveer’s paycheck;
• Issue an injunction to prevent further union membership dues deductions from her paycheck; 
• Refund money taken from Mrs. Vanderveer after she quit the government union; 
• Award Mrs. Vanderveer costs and attorneys’ fees; and
• Declare whether SERB or Ohio courts have jurisdiction in union contract dispute cases.

Read more of Mrs. Vanderveer’s story and stay up-to-date on Vanderveer v. OAPSE at BuckeyeInstitute.org/VanderveervOAPSE. 

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