Non-profit PTA, for-profit rival PTO Today settle

CHICAGO (AP) — The nonprofit National Parent Teacher Association — better known as the PTA — and a for-profit rival have settled a dispute that led the longer-established PTA to sue.

A joint statement Monday says the lawsuit filed last year in U.S. District Court in Chicago has been dismissed.

The PTA is an iconic group that's been part of American culture for more than a century. But it's seen membership decline since the 1960s.

The 14-year-old rival organization, PTO Today, set itself up as an alternative. The PTA accused PTO Today of denigrating it in a bid to siphon members.

The joint statement says no damages are being paid. But it offers no details about the agreement.

The PTA is based in Alexandria, Va., and Chicago. PTO Today is based in Massachusetts.