CHICAGO (AP) -- A national teachers union said Monday it would investigate a disputed election in the Chicago Teachers Union that has two women claiming to be president of the 37,000-member group.þþThe American Federation of Teachers said a three-person committee will begin hearing witness testimony and looking at evidence during a July 22 hearing in Chicago. The closed session likely will last two days, AFT spokesman Alex Wohl said.þþThe AFT is investigating a June 11 runoff election -- invalidated amid allegations of voter fraud -- where special education teacher Marilyn Stewart garnered 566 more votes than incumbent president Deborah Lynch.þþLynch has refused to surrender the office, although the AFT has said Stewart should take over as union president until the dispute is resolved.þþLynch, a member of the AFT executive council, told The Associated Press she voted against the investigation because ``we saw it as an issue of local autonomy.'' She also said she didn't feel the AFT had jurisdiction.þþNevertheless, she said she was confident investigators would agree the election was properly invalidated. ``We can't see how they would come to any other conclusion,'' she said.þþShe would not say whether she would accept the conclusions of the investigation and abide by any AFT rulings.þþA spokeswoman for Stewart did not immediately comment. þþþþ
Source: NY Times
