Why are Beshear, GOP trading barbs over UK’s law school dean? Catch up here

Gov. Andy Beshear publicly criticized the University of Kentucky Wednesday over a pair of administrative decisions, saying he fears “partisan donors” are pushing “undue outside influence” on the state’s largest public university.

The rare rebuke targeted the hiring of a new law school dean and the creation of a high-paying position for the outgoing athletic director.

Catch up on our reporting here:

• Beshear’s rare comment on UK’s actions. It’s not common for the governor to speak on issues at the state’s universities, but in his social media post Tuesday, he said he is “losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky.” His statement focused on two recent personnel decisions by the university.
• Governor criticizes pick of law school dean. Beshear said incoming UK law school dean Gregory Van Tatenhove, a federal judge, “was the only candidate not recommended” by law school faculty. UK spokesperson Jay Blanton defended the choice, calling Van Tatenhove “the right leader, with the right skills and the right background and expertise.”
• Van Tatenhove has documented ties to major GOP donors. Financial disclosures from 2014 to 2019 show Van Tatenhove received gifts and travel reimbursements from Joe and Kelly Craft, who are among the country’s biggest Republican donors and UK Athletics’ largest donors. Both the Crafts and another GOP donor, Kiki Courtelis, are on his permanent recusal list, meaning he would have to step away from court cases that involve them due to conflicts of interest.
• Mitch Barnhart’s new job also part of the scrutiny. Outgoing Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart will be paid $950,000 per year through August 2030 as executive in residence of a new UK Sport and Workforce Initiative, but few specifics about the role have been released. UK initially said the salary would come from the general fund before correcting that it would come from the athletics budget.
• Neither of these decisions required board of trustees approval. UK said a 2024 overhaul of the university’s governing regulations means dean positions like Van Tatenhove’s don’t need board approval — despite UK previously saying on March 6 that his hiring was pending board approval.
• A partisan clash. Kentucky’s Republican Party fired back at Beshear, and GOP spokesperson Adam Hope said “it seems very evident that the governor is not happy with the fact that the university chose somebody that wasn’t his personal, hand-picked candidate.” Beshear doubled down Tuesday on his criticism of UK, saying the school should be “a nonpartisan university” and shouldn’t “waste taxpayer dollars.”

The summary points above are based on the reporting of Herald-Leader journalists. The roundup was produced with the assistance of AI. Herald-Leader reporters and an editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.