Attorney: FCPS budget director at risk of ‘being used as a scapegoat’ by Liggins

The attorney for suspended Fayette County Schools’ budget director Ann Sampson-Grimes filed a motion Tuesday for an injunction to get her job back.

The document, filed in Fayette Circuit Court by Brandon Voelker, says Sampson-Grimes is “at risk of being used as a scapegoat by Superintendent Demetrus Liggins and having her reputation diminished as a result.”

“Without being able to defend herself, Defendants (Liggins and the FCPS board) have, on multiple occasions, suggested that Plantiff (Sampson-Grimes) is the reason the district’s budget is unbalanced,” the motion said.

After a closed session at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, members unanimously approved a vaguely worded motion by Amy Green, seconded by Monica Mundy, to authorize an investigation and “engage” an independent investigator into “allegations.” There was no mention of what the allegations were about.

It said, “Move to authorize investigation and approve engagement of Independent Investigator into allegation stated in submitting terms of engagement.”

The court document filed by Voelker asking for the injunction says it’s not true that Liggins was ignorant of the district’s budget shortfall.

Voelker says one month after Sampson-Grimes was suspended, district officials still have not told her specifically why she was placed on leave.

“They still cannot provide a reason she is on leave,” Voelker told the Herald-Leader Monday.

She was placed on administrative leave with pay Aug. 15. She filed a lawsuit Sept. 10 claiming she was placed on leave in retaliation for warning district officials of the need for budget cuts. The motion filed Tuesday additionally said she was placed on leave for her “fervent reporting of potential waste and/or mismanagement.”

The reason provided for placing Sampson-Grimes on administrative leave was “alleged inappropriate conduct (of a non-sexual nature),” according to an Aug. 15 letter from Liggins to Sampson-Grimes

Sampson-Grimes’ personnel file, obtained by the Herald-Leader under the Kentucky Open Records Act, shows that before she went to work for the district in July 2020, she was a branch manager at the Kentucky Department of Education and had been the chief financial officer for Anderson County Schools.

The personnel file additionally shows that FCPS officials verified she also worked at the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the state Division of Forestry in finance positions.

She also had career stops at the Mercer Circuit Clerk’s office and as a law clerk at Fowler Bell law firm in Lexington in 1998 and 1999, preparing financial claims.

Sampson-Grimes received an accounting degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 2002. Her certifications include certified public accountant, the personnel file shows.

Her FCPS personnel file does not point to any performance issues or problems. Her annual salary as of Dec. 20, 2023, was $141, 933.

On Sept. 12, Voelker received a letter saying Sampson-Grimes’ leave had been extended 20 working days. The extension was so allegations could continue to be investigated, but Voelker said Monday district officials have not specified what the allegations are.

Her current title is executive director of Budget and Financial Planning, according to the lawsuit and FCPS personnel documents.

In her personnel file was a letter Sampson-Grimes wrote in 2021, Voelker confirmed, to FCPS’ Human Resources because she was interested in becoming chief financial officer. That specific position ended up not being filled by anyone, her lawsuit said, as it was eliminated.

The position of deputy superintendent was instead created, and Houston Barber was hired in 2022, her lawsuit said.

In that letter to Human Resources, Sampson-Grimes talked about her professional background. As FCPS director for budget and financial planning, she said she successfully managed the growth of the budget.

“During Covid-19, my team and I maintained continuity of services, ensuring that schools and departments received the resources they needed to continue the work of the district. We streamlined processes, maximized grant resources, and provided a fiscally conservative lens, which enables the District to increase savings to the general fund and reduce taxpayer burden,“ she said.

Sampson-Grimes said in the letter that during her tenure with the Kentucky Department of Education as branch manager (of accounting and finance from 2008 to 2016,) she directed financial activities for a $5 billion budget, managed cash flow and provided fiscal guidance to an organization of 1,500 employees.

She said she developed advanced skills in report building, converted a manual payment process to an electronic system, and served as an accounting system lead.

The personnel file shows she was scheduled in 2025 to complete an MBA with an emphasis in human resources and leadership through Northern Kentucky University.

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 5:57 PM.