Fayette superintendent says he sent encouraging, not fake, threatening, notes

An attorney for Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said Wednesday that Liggins did not create a fabricated, threatening email at the center of an investigation against him, but rather “sent notes of encouragement (and) empathy” to district employees.

Liggins had eliminated more than 100 positions to address financial issues in the embattled district, and, his lawyer said, he sought to motivate staff to “persevere through the chaos. “

The lawyer’s comments come after the superintendent was placed on leave this month following an accusation by Rep. Adrielle Camuel, an administrative assistant in the district, that Liggins slipped a note under Camuel’s office door that implied a threat of legal action for criticizing Liggins’ leadership.

Liggins was captured on video slipping a piece of paper under Camuel’s door. Camuel’s lawyer says that paper was a printed email purporting to be from a law firm advising Liggins may have been defamed by critics. Camuel was publicly critical of Liggins after the cuts were announced.

Camuel’s lawyer said she immediately questioned the authenticity of the email, which was obtained by the Herald-Leader. The firm that purportedly sent it, Kaplan, Johnson, Abate and Bird, told the Herald-Leader it did not write it and has never worked with Liggins.

The origin of the email remained unclear Thursday, but Liggins’ lawyer, C. Ed Massey, maintained his client did not write it, and he did not slip threatening emails under employees’ doors.

He also noted it was unclear in the video what, exactly, Liggins slipped under Camuel’s door.

Massey told FOX56 News: “He indicates that he had written several personal notes to different individuals in Central Office that basically indicated he was sorry for what they were going through with all the financial turmoil, etc.”

Massey elaborated to the Herald-Leader Wednesday, “He did NOT create the fabricated email. He sent notes of encouragement, empathy.

“Leadership is lonely. The Superintendent was attempting to boost morale and motivate his team to persevere through the chaos. District leadership is never one person. It is the Superintendent, the Board, the assistants, the finance department and the community. Blame is easy to allege and hard to prove.”

“Dr. Liggins is committed to the student and families of Fayette County and is hopeful the community can rally around the district in this challenging time. Those casting blame should be proposing solutions,” Massey told the Herald-Leader.

Massey told the Herald-Leader he was “working on a confidential proposal” to the Fayette County school board attorney regarding Liggins’ exit from the school district.

Liggins recently informed the school board that he wanted to negotiate a settlement to leave the district after more than a year of financial turmoil. Liggins later clarified that he had not resigned and wanted to rescind his request to negotiate a settlement, but the board instead placed him on administrative leave.

Massey also told FOX56 “(Liggins is) disappointed. He didn’t come here to fail. He did not come here to disrupt the community, to tear up the school district, or to hurt kids.”

“He is not disappointed in himself,” Massey later told the Herald-Leader. “He is disappointed in the aspersions and rhetoric. He is disappointed in learning of the financial challenges that pre-dated his Superintendency. He is disappointed in the people seeking to tear him down and the district apart. “

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 8:49 AM.