Lynn Cavall was the director of strategic programs for the Broward Teachers Union and one of four (so far) BTU officials who were charged with violations in a scheme to reimburse staffers out of dues money for campaign contributions they made to union-recommended candidates in Florida. Cavall plead no contest to a single misdemeanor count of filing a false campaign report and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Normally that isn’t the kind of thing that would enhance your career prospects, but South Florida teachers’ unions aren’t normal. Last week, Cavall was selected to become the new executive director of the Palm Beach Classroom Teachers Association. “I really did want to serve in the role of an executive director,” Cavall said. “I was excited when they re-opened the position.”

The Palm Beach executive director position was already a matter of some controversy, as interim executive director Tony Hernandez was mysteriously demoted last March after 15 months on the job, and a replacement from Florida Education Association headquarters put in his place.

Questions have also been raised about whether hiring Cavall for such a position is in itself a violation of labor laws. The controlling federal statute, Section 504 of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, lists the offenses that would prohibit certain persons from holding union office. Filing a false statement is included in the list, but refers only to statements and reports required under LMRDA. So it appears the Cavall hiring benefits from a loophole, assuming no false information related to her offense appeared in a federal labor report. State labor law appears to be silent on the issue.