‘Mismanagement.’ Fayette County school board chair’s opponents respond to his lawsuit

The “longstanding financial mismanagement” at Fayette County Public Schools created an opportunity for state lawmakers to insert themselves into a local school board race, one of school board chair Tyler Murphy’s opponents in the general election said Wednesday.

Kathy Schiflett, who’s running for Murphy’s Second District seat on the Fayette County Board of Education, said in a statement that lawmakers shouldn’t be impacting local elections with a law that seeks to make Murphy ineligible to run. But she says residents should pay attention to why lawmakers have sought to push Murphy out of his elected position.

Schiflett’s statement was in response to Murphy on Tuesday filing a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court challenging the constitutionality of the new 2026 Kentucky law that prohibits him from serving on the board because he works for another public school district.

Murphy has said the law was aimed at him specifically. Republican lawmakers have called for his resignation over FCPS’ current financial problems. They made a concerted effort to remove Murphy from office, a measure which is still pending, even after they passed the law to disqualify him from reelection.

“We do not want or need the state legislature deciding our local elections,” Schiflett said. “Legislating who is and is not eligible to run for school board in Fayette and Jefferson Counties remains a deeply troubling overreach from Frankfort. At the same time, we must not lose sight of what brought us to this point.

“The longstanding financial mismanagement at Fayette County Public Schools created an opportunity for state lawmakers to insert themselves into our local school board race, and it should be of concern to us all. “

Schiflett said that in attending school board meetings over the last year, she has seen school leaders “fail to meet our community’s expectations,” and she feels finances have been mismanaged. Voters should remain focused on that, she said.

“I trust the voters of Fayette County to determine who will best represent our students, teachers, staff, and community. My focus remains where it belongs: ensuring all Fayette County Public Schools students can and will shine.”

R.J. Hijalda, who also is running for Murphy’s seat, said it’s ”inconsequential” to him whether Murphy is on the ballot.

“I’m running for school board to help fix the financial issues that have exploded on his watch, but it’s even more important to restore public trust in the Fayette County Public Schools,” Hijalda said in response to the lawsuit. “I’ve spent many years coaching and serving nearly 1,000 students in Fayette County. I’m looking forward to hopefully having the opportunity to do that as a member of the school board after the November election.”

Murphy did not immediately respond to request for comment about his opponents’ remarks.

Republican lawmakers have also called for the resignation of Fayette Superintendent Demetrus Liggins, who recently, along with acting chief financial officer Kyna Koch, said district officials have misstated FCPS’ finances for years.