Two former leaders of the Duval Teachers United in Jacksonville, Florida, have been sentenced to federal prison after embezzling $2.6 million from the union's coffers.

Terrie Brady, the ex-president, and Ruby George, the former executive vice president, abused their positions for over a decade in a scheme that highlights the rampant self-dealing within teachers unions.

The FBI raided the union's headquarters in September 2023, kicking off an investigation that uncovered their fraudulent activities. Brady and George pleaded guilty in 2025 to defrauding the union by cashing in thousands of unearned vacation days, essentially paying themselves for time they never accrued. Brady also admitted to one count of money laundering.

They executed a calculated theft over years, siphoning money that should have supported teachers and students.

On February 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard handed down the sentences. Brady received 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. George, who cooperated with the FBI, got 12 months and one day in prison, plus six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release.

Both were ordered to repay the full $2.6 million in restitution, though Brady has already returned about $1.3 million.

Cases like this expose the ugly truth about teachers unions: they too often prioritize power and personal gain over the educators they claim to represent.

Dues-paying teachers in Florida and across the country deserve better than having their hard-earned money stolen by union elites. This scandal underscores why we need more school choice options—empowering parents and teachers to break free from these corrupt monopolies and direct resources straight to kids' education.

Conservatives have long warned about the dangers of unchecked union influence, and here we see it in stark relief. It's time to hold these organizations accountable and give families real alternatives.

The best teachers should opt out of these unions and join alternatives like the Teacher Freedom Alliance to starve the power-hungry bosses by cutting off their dues.