Case Updates

New York Officials Silence Public Employees

The age of online shaming and political correctness isn’t going away. Many people have been “de-platformed” from social media sites, kicked off college campuses, and fired from their jobs for speech. Some of these victims of public shaming are public figures and professional provocateurs. But many are average everyday citizens

Rebecca Friedrichs On “Standing Up To Goliath”

Former CIR plaintiff and California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs has told the inside story of her decades long struggle against teachers unions in her new book, Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers’ Unions for the Heart and Soul of Our Kids and Country.

For twenty-eight years, Friedrichs served

Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Class Actions Case

On October 31st, The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Frank v. Gaos, a case in which CIR filed a supporting (amicus) brief. At issue in Gaos is the abusive  use of a feature of some class action settlements, known as cy pres awards, in which lower courts award funds

The Promise of Janus

On October 25, CIR President Terry Pell helped take the fight for teacher freedom to the Pennsylvania state Legislature.  He testified in support of proposed legislation designed to implement the Supreme Court’s decision last summer in Janus v. AFSCME along with former Secretary of Education William Bennett (now Chairman of

Supreme Court To Hear Arguments In Class Actions Case

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow, October 31st, in Frank v. Gaos, a case in which CIR filed a supporting brief. Gaos will give the Court an opportunity to end the abuse of class action settlements, known as cy pres awards, in which lower courts award 100% of

Workers Vindicated: UFW Finally Decertified At Gerawan Farming

It’s been over five years since the workers at Gerawan Farming voted to dercitify the United Farm Workers. The UFW was certified at Gerawan in 1990, but then abandoned the workers for nearly two decades. When the UFW returned in 2012, they demanded that Gerawan’s 5,000 employees, few of whom

Ninth Circuit hears argument in CIR’s challenge to Guam voting law

On October 10, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral argument in Davis v. Guam, a case challenging a race-exclusive plebiscite planned by the Government of Guam.  Guam resident Arnold (Dave) Davis was turned away from registering to vote because he is

CIR Files Supreme Court Brief for California Farmworker

The Supreme Court is currently considering Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, a First Amendment challenge to public employee compulsory agency fees.  Compelled unionism could soon be before the Supreme Court once again. Gerawan Farming, Inc. v. California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, cert. petition

In Supreme Court Class Action Case, Free Speech Hangs In The Balance

On April 30th, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Frank v. Gaos, a case in which CIR filed a supporting brief. The case challenges a well-known abuse of plaintiff class action settlements known as cy pres awards in which 100% of settlement awards are given to attorneys and third party