UK settles journalism professor’s defamation suits 6 years after filing
The University of Kentucky reached a tentative settlement this month in two lawsuits filed by a journalism professor who claimed he was defamed by the school.
Buck Ryan, a tenured faculty member in UK’s School of Journalism and Media, in December 2019 filed a civil lawsuit in Fayette Circuit Court against the school’s provost, David Blackwell, and Joseph Reed, the chief audit executive.
Ryan claimed he was defamed when school leaders said Ryan exploited his faculty position for financial gain by requiring students to purchase a book he wrote.
Ryan filed a second, separate defamation lawsuit, also in December 2019, against the school’s board of trustees and a student who filed a Title IX complaint with the university’s office of equal opportunity.
Ryan remained on UK’s payroll for the past six years while the lawsuits were pending. He made $123,210 during the 2024-2025 school year, records show. He was still listed as an employee as of Wednesday.
UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the school reached a tentative settlement with Ryan on May 9, but a settlement amount was not available.
“The university is pleased these cases have been resolved after so long,” Blanton told the Herald-Leader.
Robert Abell, a lawyer for Ryan, was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
In November 2018, university officials sent a letter to Ryan informing him he would no longer teach Journalism 101 because several students complained about his teaching performance and a “significant” drop in enrollment for the introductory class.
Ryan also filed a third lawsuit in 2019 — this one in federal court — alleging UK had defamed and retaliated against him after he fought efforts to fire him.
U.S. District Court Judge Karen Caldwell dismissed the federal suit in late November 2019.
This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM.
