Teacher group sues over TN law that bans deduction of dues from paychecks

A professional organization that advocates for Tennessee teachers has filed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that bans the group from deducting membership dues from educators’ paychecks.

The Tennessee Education Association filed the challenge Monday over the two-pronged law, which also gradually raises the minimum teacher salary up to $50,000 for the 2026-2027 school year. The association supports the pay raise, but opposes the deductions ban. Republican Gov. Bill Lee pushed for the dual-purpose bill with the support from the GOP-dominant General Assembly this year.

The group’s lawsuit contends that combining the two changes into one bill violates a single-subject requirement for any legislation that is required by the Tennessee Constitution . The challenge calls for a judge to leave the pay raise in place and block the payroll deduction change.

The complaint also argues that the ban violates the state and federal constitutional protections for contracts. That includes certain agreements between the Tennessee Education Association’s local affiliates and school districts that include provisions about deductions, and separate agreements between the association and teachers.

Three local affiliates and two member teachers joined the Tennessee Education Association as plaintiffs in the lawsuit in state chancery court in Nashville.

“Sliding a payroll dues deduction ban in a bill to raise the minimum pay was a cynical attack on Tennessee teachers. The ban was mean-spirited, and the way it passed was unconstitutional,” Tennessee Education Association President Tanya Coats said in a news release.

Efforts to pass a paycheck deduction ban have failed in Tennessee as standalone bills in recent years.




Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State address in the House Chamber of the Capitol building, Jan. 31, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. The Tennessee Education Association filed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that bans the group from deducting membership dues from educators' paychecks. The association supports a pay raise in the bill, but opposes the deductions ban. Gov. Lee pushed for the dual-purpose bill with the support from the GOP-dominant General Assembly this year. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, file)