$1 Million in Lawyers’ Bills to Taxpayers for State’s Defeat in Court

November 12, 2013

The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on May 31 reversed a lower court ruling, and gave unionized state employees a major victory in a 2003 class action lawsuit against ex-Gov. John G. Rowland and his budget chief, Marc Ryan.

The appeals panel of three judges unanimously reversed a 2011 U.S. District Court summary judgment in favor of the state; the panel upheld the claim of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition – or SEBAC – that Rowland, Ryan and the state acted illegally by targeting more than 2,800 union members for layoffs while sparing non-union workers.