Lower Court Holding
Decision of the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
From the beginning of 1992 until the beginning of 1994, Wyoming Valley West School District was in contract negotiations with the Wyoming Valley West School District Teachers’ Union over the terms of the teachers’ new contract. The negotiations, which were markedly contentious, generated significant public interest and were frequently covered by the news media. Plaintiffs Gloria Bartnicki and Anthony F. Kane, Jr., as well as defendant Jack Yocum, all were heavily involved in the negotiating process. Bartnicki was the chief negotiator on behalf of the teachers’ union. Kane, a teacher at Wyoming Valley West High School, served as president of…