Fayette Superintendent Liggins addresses investigation that cited failures

Fayette County School District Superintendent Demetrus Liggins on Monday night addressed an investigation that found he violated multiple internal policies during the district’s budget problems last year.

The report, written by attorney Leigh Latherow and provided to media Monday, found Liggins failed to keep the school board properly informed of the district’s budget situation and did not exercise proper oversight of the district’s finance and budget departments, including its expenses, forecasting and contingency fund tracking.

Liggins released two statements Monday night after the school board meeting. The second, released about 10 p.m., reads in part:

“This report confirms what I have shared with our community on multiple occasions. As superintendent, I relied too heavily on the leaders and team working in the area of budget and finance every day when I should have been asking sharper questions and demanding more comprehensive detail. ... My leadership had been intentionally centered on student outcomes, academic growth and the overall health of our school system. While those priorities guided my focus, I regret that I was not more hands-on in the day-to-day operations of budget and finance.

“I ... acknowledge that I previously fell short in aspects of budget and finance oversight, and commit to ensuring full alignment with board policy and the board governance manual moving forward. I regret that I was not more hands-on in the day-to-day operations of budget and finance.”

“In August, I assumed direct oversight of the finance and budget departments and have been actively involved on a daily basis. Over the past six months, I have sought to identify exactly what went wrong and taken decisive action to ensure it never happens again. ... I recognize that confidence has been shaken for some in our community and I continue to take concrete steps to address those concerns.

“I remain confident in the direction we are headed and fully committed to continuous improvement on behalf of our students, staff, and families.”

The district faced severe scrutiny amid budget trouble last year, including a multimillion-dollar, since-resolved budget deficit and a dwindling contingency, or rainy day, fund.

Multiple investigations were launched as a result, including an ongoing examination from Kentucky Auditor Alison Ball, an audit by a Texas firm, an independent investigation by Missouri lawyers, and the completed report by Latherow.

In a statement after school board members met in closed session for more than an hour Monday night, school board chair Tyler Murphy said the board will carefully consider the findings and “anticipates making a determination on appropriate corrective measures in the coming weeks.”

“Meeting this goal is not just about what happens in the classroom, but how the resources entrusted to the school district are managed,” Murphy said.

Board member Amanda Ferguson, in a statement to Herald-Leader reporting partner WKYT, described the findings as “extremely concerning.”

“The superintendent’s policy violations outlined in this report are extremely concerning and have clearly contributed to the challenges I experienced in my board service over the last several years,” Ferguson said. “The board will need to address how these infractions might affect the superintendent’s employment with the district.”

On Tuesday morning, Murphy told the Herald-Leader that he had nothing more to say after Liggins’ second statement.

This story was originally published February 10, 2026 at 11:13 AM.