Attorney general finds Fayette school board’s closed-session notice was incorrect, but suspension did not violate open-meetings law
The Fayette County Board of Education used an incorrect notice for a closed session connected to Superintendent Demetrus Liggins’ suspension, but Kentucky’s attorney general concluded that the error did not violate the state Open Meetings Act in the suspension action.
The conclusion was reported July 15 and addresses a key procedural question in the continuing leadership dispute at Fayette County Public Schools, Lexington’s public-school district.
The finding is limited to the closed-session notice and the suspension action. It does not establish that the board’s process was free of every possible procedural concern, nor does it resolve the broader dispute involving the board and Liggins.
What the finding says
According to reporting on the attorney general’s conclusion, the board’s notice for the closed session was incorrect. The attorney general nonetheless found that the notice problem did not amount to an Open Meetings Act violation when the board suspended Liggins.
The available source material does not include the full attorney general opinion or its detailed statutory analysis. As a result, the precise basis for the conclusion is not established in the material available for this report.
The ruling concerns the procedural validity of the suspension under the open-meetings law. It is not a final determination of Liggins’ employment status or of issues raised in related controversy.
Employment review remains unresolved
Liggins was reported to be on paid leave while his employment was under review. The available reporting does not establish the terms or end date of that leave, and it does not show that the employment review had concluded as of Aug. 3.
That distinction remains important for families, employees and the district: a suspension and paid leave during an employment review are not the same as a termination, resignation or decision to retain a superintendent. No such final outcome is supported by the available source packet.
The leadership dispute has unfolded alongside the district’s effort to restore its financial footing. Reporting identifies the superintendent matter and district finances as part of a broader governance controversy involving Fayette County Public Schools and its elected board.
School year approaches
The district’s public website identified Aug. 12 as the planned first day of the 2026-27 school year. The attorney general finding does not itself change that operational date, but it provides a formal public determination about one part of the board’s handling of the superintendent matter as the new school year approaches.
The next known development in the leadership matter is the continuation or resolution of the employment review. The available sources do not identify a board meeting date, review deadline or final employment decision.