Central Kentucky school board members arrested, charged with theft

Kentucky State Police and Clark County School officials on Thursday said two Clark County Board of Education members have been arrested and charged with stealing from a youth soccer league.

The soccer league is not connected to Clark County Public Schools.

KSP officials said Thursday that in October 2025, KSP’s Richmond Post was contacted by the Winchester Youth Soccer League, Inc., regarding suspicious and unusual banking activity involving one or more members of the organization’s board of directors.

Detectives with KSP Post 7 began an investigation. The findings of that investigation were presented to the Clark County Attorney’s office this month.

As a result, an arrest warrant was obtained and served on Ashley Ritchie-Rowland, a former board member of the Winchester Youth Soccer League, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for governing and operating the youth soccer leagues serving Winchester and Clark County children and families. Ashley Ritchie-Rowland was arrested and lodged in the Clark County Detention Center.

An arrest warrant was also obtained and served on Ben Dorsey, also a former board member of the Winchester Youth Soccer League, Inc. Dorsey was taken into custody and lodged in the Clark County Detention Center.

Court records say both have been charged with theft by unlawful taking greater than $10,000 but less than $1 million.

The investigation is ongoing.

Dorsey and Ritchie-Rowland remained in the detention center just before 11 a.m. Thursday, officials said.

Clark County Public Schools Superintendent Dustin Howard said Thursday he was saddened to learn that two elected members of the Clark County Board of Education were arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds.

The allegations are not in any way related to the Clark County Public School District or their service as members of the Clark County Board of Education, Howard said.

“Further, the other three elected CCPS board members are in no way involved or implicated in these allegations,” he said. “School Board members do not have direct access to public school funds, and there are no allegations pertaining to the Clark County School District.”

Howard said the district has no authority to remove the charged board members from their elected positions.

“The process to remove an elected Kentucky school board member requires involvement of the Kentucky Attorney General. Where there are criminal charges against a board member, the board member is subject to removal once convicted of a felony,” he said.

“Although I am disheartened by this recent news, we are determined to continue our focus on growing greatness in our students, staff, and community,” said Howard.