Statement by the American Federation of Teachers
On Out-of-Court Settlement with former General Counsel
of United Teachers of Dade

MIAMI — The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Teachers of Dade (UTD) today reached an out-of-court settlement with Elizabeth DuFresne, the former General Counsel for the Miami teachers union, to resolve the disputes between them.  Under the terms of the settlement, Ms. DuFresne had agreed to release certain disputed funds to UTD and to make other payments in the total amount of $340,000.

Ms. DuFresne had been referred to in a forensic study of UTD privately commissioned by the AFT and conducted by Louis B. Freeman & Partners.  However, she was not named in the recent lawsuit for restitution filed by the UTD and AFT because settlement negotiations were ongoing at the time the suit was filed. Ms. DuFresne had put UTD on notice of her intent to file claims for breach of contract and defamation.

Ms. DuFresne vigorously denies any wrongdoing in her representation of or dealing with UTD. UTD denies any liability with regard to the potential claims of Ms. DuFresne. The parties, however, have agreed to settle their claims to avoid the uncertainties and expense of litigation.

Commenting on the agreement, AFT Secretary-Treasurer Edward J. McElroy stated: "This settlement is another step forward in our efforts to strengthen and rebuild the finances of the UTD and restore members’ faith in their union."

Details on the lawsuit and forensic audit are posted on the UTD Web site at www.utofd.com/Forensic_Examination_Report.htm.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.