CEI Files Amicus Brief in Thompson v. Marietta Education Association Appeal for Cert at Supreme Court

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed an amicus brief in support of a petition for cert at the Supreme Court in the case of Thompson v. Marietta Education Association. The case involves Jade Thompson, a Spanish teacher at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ohio, who is suing the Marietta Education Association on the grounds that a state law compelling her to accept the union as her exclusive representative violates her First Amendment rights.

In the amicus brief, CEI General Counsel Sam Kazman and attorney Devin Watkins write:

The state law compelling the Petitioner to accept the union’s speech as her own on issues of substantial public concern infringes on her First Amendment rights. Equally troublesome, the state compels the Petitioner to accept the advocacy of an exclusive representative for whom she never had a chance to vote. For the most part, public employees simply inherit union representation that was voted on by past workers, and are forced to accept it without any choice in the matter.

For these reasons, the Ohio statute that establishes exclusive representation is in conflict with First Amendment jurisprudence and warrants review by the Court.

Read the full amicus brief here.