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Appeal Committee upholds decision

The Chicago Teachers Union Appeal Committee by a vote of 22-1 has upheld the conviction of Theodore T. Dallas for bringing disrepute upon the Union. The appeal hearing was held on September 23 and the committee consists of the elected functional vice presidents of the Union.

The action was a follow-up to the decision of the Union’s Executive Board on August 18 that found Mr. Dallas guilty of a variety of offenses by a vote of 32-2. The Executive Board subsequently removed Mr. Dallas from membership in the Union as the punishment for his offenses.

The voting members of the Executive Board also are elected by the membership of the Union. That group includes the Union officers, the trustees, and the area vice presidents, in addition to the functional vice presidents.

According to Article XIV, Section J, of the CTU’s Constitution and By-Laws, “A majority vote of the entire Appeal Committee shall be necessary for a verdict. The verdict shall be ‘Guilty’ or ‘Not Guilty.’ Such verdict shall be final and conclusive, and shall be substituted for the verdict of the Trial Board.” Article XIV, Section J, also states, “If the verdict of the Appeal Committee is ‘Guilty’ the Appeal Committee may not review the penalty.”

Members of the Executive Committee were provided with documents in support of each of the charges against Mr. Dallas. They included the following.

• Mr. Dallas misused CTU funds by unilaterally authorizing extra financial payments to some staff members over others.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas misused CTU funds by unilaterally giving himself payment
  for sick days he had not yet earned.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas falsified receipts submitted regarding expenses for which
  he was reimbursed.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas used foul and abusive language toward employees and
  even toward a high ranking employee of the Chicago Public Schools;
  as a result of one such incident, a successful Unfair Labor Practice
  (ULP) was filed against the CTU by the shop steward for the Union’s clerical staff bargaining unit.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas repeatedly ignored the directives given him by the Union President.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas destroyed important Union documents, including employee contracts which were required for completion of the Union’s annual
  audit.
  
  
• Mr. Dallas used Union supplies and equipment for personal purposes.

Mr. Dallas' membership officially was removed effective September 29, 2008. No further action regarding this matter is dictated by the CTU Constitution & By Laws.