School board: Investigator hired to dig into claims against Superintendent Liggins

An independent investigator will dig into allegations against Superintendent Demetrus Liggins made by the Fayette County school budget director he suspended.

On Wednesday, school board chairman Tyler Murphy sent Ann Sampson-Grimes a letter saying the board had hired attorney Leigh Latherow of the VanAntwerp law firm in Ashland to conduct an independent investigation.

Latherow will investigate allegations in the Aug. 27 letter from Sampson-Grimes’ attorney Brandon Voelker that are directed against Liggins.

That Aug. 27 letter said Liggins retaliated against Sampson-Grimes by placing her on leave Aug. 15 after she repeatedly warned district officials of the need for budget cuts of the financially challenged district. Voelker has painted his client as a “scapegoat” for the district’s budget woes.

Voelker’s letter to Murphy said each time Sampson-Grimes advised that budget cuts must be enforced, her peers and superiors pushed back on her suggestions. They claimed she was incorrect or flat-out ignored her advice, Voelker said in the letter.

He described her leave as discriminatory and retaliatory.

Sampson-Grimes filed a lawsuit against Liggins and the school district Sept. 10. It accused the superintendent of “gross intentional conduct meant to punish” her and preventing her from “lawfully reporting potential mismanagement and/or waste of FCPS funds.”

Latherow’s investigation will delve into whether the facts related to those allegations substantiate that board/district policies or procedures were not followed, the letter said.

The five-person school board acts as Liggins’ boss. Fayette County Public Schools officials have repeatedly said they cannot comment on personnel matters.

Sampson-Grimes, a former branch manager at the Kentucky Department of Education and former chief financial officer at Anderson County Public Schools, went to work for Fayette County Public Schools in 2020. Her current title is budget director.

Voelker said he shared Murphy’s letter to Sampson-Grimes with the Herald-Leader so the public would know about the investigation into Liggins in a bid for transparency.

“This investigation is separate from any other inquiry or process currently under way within the district,” Murphy’s letter reads. “Ms. Latherow has been retained as an outside, independent investigator due to the Superintendent being the respondent.”

The investigation will be conducted consistent with the board policies on grievances and discrimination.

“While Ms. Latherow is an attorney, she is acting as an independent investigator rather than a legal representative or legal adviser to the board in this situation,” Murphy’s letter reads.

Voelker told the Herald-Leader Thursday that the school board “would outsource the very determination they are elected to make, is troubling.”

“More importantly, despite numerous requests for the reasoning for Ms. Grimes ‘administrative leave,’ no one will provide an answer. Instead, they seek to ask us to participate with a third-party investigator,” Voelker said.

Voelker wants Sampson-Grimes to meet with Latherow in front of school board members.

“Our proposal is simple and transparent, the Board at a lawfully called meeting, simply hear from my client and the evidence that will establish that the financial issues were known. The board, its investigator, or anyone else can ask questions,” he said.

To ensure transparency and proper examination by the school board, it is necessary the board hear directly from Sampson-Grimes, as compared to a third party, he said.

Board policy prohibits retaliation against an employee because they submit a grievance, assists or participates in an investigation, proceeding or hearing, Murphy’s letter to Sampson-Grimes said.

In a Thursday letter to Latherow, Voelker said emails, Google worksheets and other documentation, which establish that FCPS was advised of the financial issues for a significant period, are in the possession of FCPS who removed Sampson-Grimes and her respective access to the documentation.

“That fact that the Board, through the Chair’s September 17, 2025, letter would seek to engage a third-party investigator to determine whether board or district policy or procedure was violated, is troubling, since they are the duly elected Board,” Voelker told Latherow.

“Furthermore, reference that somehow Ms. Grimes has information/documentation that is not permitted or required by law, to be shared, is also concerning. The information she has is both permitted and would be subject to the Kentucky Open Records Act,” he said.

“The proper investigation of my client’s claims needs to be in a public forum for the Board to hear and determine, not a secretive investigation,” Voelker said.

“This will be a properly called public meeting, and we will present all information and answer all questions. As the legislature advised Superintendent Liggins, the public has lost faith in the district. Faith will be restored with transparency,” Voelker told Latherow.

Voelker was referring to Liggins’ Tuesday appearance before the General Assembly’s Interim Joint Committee on Education.

This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM.