Newschwander v. Board of Trustees of Washington State Teachers' Retirement System

Appellant Wilfrid Newschwander represents a class of litigants who were members of the Washington State Teachers' Retirement System (WSTRS) prior to 1957. All were employed at Central, Eastern, or Western Washington State College (now universities). In 1957, all members of the class transferred membership from WSTRS to the Teachers' Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA), leaving their accumulated contributions in WSTRS. No member of the class has contributed to WSTRS since 1957.

In 1976, appellants petitioned the WSTRS Board of Trustees for a declaratory ruling, pursuant to RCW 34.04-.080,…