Suspended FCPS superintendent’s attorney says school board is rebuffing offers

An attorney for suspended Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said he has made four overtures to reach a resolution with the Fayette County Board of Education amid an employment dispute between the two sides, but there has been no success.

“Dr. Liggins has opened up with an open mind to reach some resolution,“ attorney Amos Jones told the Herald-Leader Thursday night. “Despite four overtures, the defense lawyers for the school board continue to communicate what we read as a bizarre desire to have several years of court action — the costliest churn that harms taxpayers.“

The two sides have been engaged in a back and forth for more than a month now. It started in early June when Liggins contacted the school board to say he wanted to negotiate a “separation agreement.” He told board chair Tyler Murphy he had decided it would be best for him to leave the role. The board took that as a resignation notice, but Liggins later said he was not resigning and tried to withdraw his request to discuss separation terms.

Since then, Liggins has been placed on paid administrative leave. The district has not said why he is on leave, but Liggins and Jones contend that a June 10 school board meeting where Liggins was suspended was done in violation of the open meetings law. They want Liggins to be reinstated.

“The more they get exposed, the more they double down. Our civic leaders and the Fayette County community are now seeing who’s really wasting time and killing value and reputations. And it’s not Dr. Liggins,” Jones said.

A Fayette County Public Schools’ committee created to restore confidence in the district urged the Fayette County Board of Education Wednesday to move quickly to settle the contentious employment dispute with Liggins.

“The two sides need to get in a room and get this settled,” said Hunter Stout, one of nine members of the Fayette County Board of Education’s Finance and Accountability Committee.

The committee was created in January to help the district oversee its finances and restore trust.

The district is in the midst of multiple audits and examinations after it announced earlier this year it had discovered its books had been misstated for decades. The district has had to cut more than $20 million from its current-year tentative general fund budget of $711.3 million.

“The longer this drags out, the more money it costs in legal fees, which we can’t afford right now to begin with,” Stout said during Wednesday night’s Finance and Accountability Committee meeting. “And we are closely approaching the start of the school year. This is a huge distraction for the district, the teachers, families, and most importantly the children.

“And the longer this drags out, the more it is going to end up impacting the kids in the system. They need to get this resolved and get it resolved quickly.”

A lawyer for Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, who is also an administrative assistant with the district, filed a complaint with the district shortly before Liggins was placed on leave. Camuel received a printed email under her door at work that purported to be from a Louisville law firm warning criticism of Liggins could be considered defamatory. The Louisville law firm has denied writing the email or ever working with Liggins.

A video shows Liggins placing a paper under Camuel’s door. Liggins has said he gave supportive notes to staff but did not write the falsified email or place it under her door. Liggins and his lawyer have demanded Liggins be reinstated, alleging the district violated the Open Meetings Act when it placed Liggins on leave. The school district has said it followed the law.

Liggins has appealed the open meetings decision to the Kentucky attorney general. He has also filed a complaint with the state Office of Education Accountability. The board has hired Ashland-based VanAntwerp Lawyers to investigate Liggins.

On Thursday afternoon, prior to Jones’ statement about the negotiations between Liggins and the school board, Fayette school officials said they would “continue following established policies and legal requirements with respect to any ongoing investigation and personnel matter.”

“As we have reiterated, our focus remains on our students and schools, ensuring stability for our district, and supporting Acting Superintendent Bradford’s leadership as he prepares for a successful start of a new school year,” officials said.