Beshear ‘taking seriously’ concerns over KY law limiting teacher-student communication

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is “taking seriously” concerns over a new state law banning personal electronic communication between public school employees and students, his spokesperson said.

Beshear’s statement comes after a group presented the governor this week with a petition containing more than 13,000 signatures of people concerned about the unintended consequences of the law.

Senate Bill 181, which allows staff and volunteers to communicate with students outside school only via traceable forms of communication, such as school emails or school-approved and -monitored apps, was intended to reduce instances of inappropriate sexual communication between staff and students, a problem that’s plagued Kentucky for years.

The bill passed with bipartisan support during the 2025 General Assembly, and Beshear signed it into law.

But educators quickly raised concerns about the bill's unintended consequences. Criticisms reemerged in recent weeks as the fall sports season ramped up, and public school coaches had to delete players’ phone numbers and apps the programs had used for years.

On Wednesday, representatives from a group called Kentucky Teachers In The Know presented Beshear with the petition highlighting concerns with the bill.

Allison Slone, a special education teacher from Rowan County who leads the group, said they told Beshear the group has deep concerns about how the bill is affecting educators.

Slone provided one example in which a teacher helped raise her ex-partner’s daughter after the mother passed away. Now, the teacher has to block her from social media and messaging. The child — who saw the teacher as her mother — was devastated, she said.

Additionally, teachers living with minors who are not their biological children — such as kinship placements — are unable to legally message them, Slone said.

Penalties for violating the law can include actions against a teacher’s state certification.

Slone’s group is asking the governor and lawmakers to pause enforcement of the measure until it can be reviewed and amended in the 2026 General Assembly that begins in January.

Slone said while her group supports the intent behind the bill — to protect children from inappropriate messaging — “we also emphasized the need for clarity and fairness to prevent innocent educators from being unfairly reprimanded.

“Gov. Beshear assured us that he hears our concerns and is looking into what can be done now, even as we wait for the 2026 legislative session, when we hope necessary revisions can be made,” Slone told the Herald-Leader.

“He also shared that if a special session is called, he will consider including SB181 as part of the agenda,” Slone said.

Beshear’s spokesperson, Scottie Ellis, told the Herald-Leader Wednesday the governor had “a good meeting with Kentucky Teachers In the Know. He is taking their concerns seriously

“As a dad of two children in Kentucky public schools, and the governor of an education-first administration, Gov. Beshear is committed to supporting Kentucky teachers and students,” Ellis said.

A 2022 Herald-Leader investigation found that of the 194 teachers whose teaching licenses were voluntarily surrendered, suspended or revoked by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board from 2016 to 2021, the vast majority — 61% — were related to sexual misconduct. A study published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse on Kentucky teacher misconduct cases showed 70% of those cases started with private, electronic communication between a student and a teacher.

Under the new law, a parent may submit written consent to authorize a designated school district employee or volunteer who is not a family member to communicate electronically with his or her child outside of the traceable communication system that the law requires.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said in an opinion that the bill does not violate free speech or religious freedom.

Following that opinion, the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, said SB 181 was all about protecting Kentucky’s kids in the digital age by re-establishing clear, commonsense boundaries between students and adults in public schools.

“Let’s be clear — this bill was never about punishing teachers or coaches. It’s about stopping bad actors and preventing inappropriate, untraceable communication with students,” Tichenor said.

Tichenor has previously pledged to refine the new law’s language in the next legislative session.

Tichenor previously told the Herald-Leader she has heard from many school officials, parents and coaches about concerns about the bill and hiccups in implementing the measure that was meant to protect students.

“I take those concerns seriously and value the feedback I’m receiving,” Tichenor said. “My focus right now is on listening and working collaboratively to make sure the law is implemented in a way that supports both student safety and practical realities of our schools and extracurricular programs.”