FCPS superintendent files Open Meetings Act appeal with Kentucky AG—what next in Lexington

Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins filed an Open Meetings Act appeal with Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman on June 30, 2026, arguing the Fayette County Board of Education mishandled a June 10 closed session and improperly denied his complaint on June 24.

For parents and other residents, the practical milestone is the next step at the state level: the Attorney General’s legally binding written decision under Kentucky’s Open Meetings law.

What Liggins says went wrong at the June 10 meeting

Local reporting says the dispute centers on how the board described and discussed a superintendent “resignation notice” in closed session. WUKY reports that Liggins (through his attorney, Amos Jones) alleges the board improperly treated a June 9 email as a resignation notice, despite later clarification that Liggins had not resigned and that any separation-related discussion depended on a formal agreement that never existed.

WEKU and WUKY also report that, after that June 10 closed session, the board placed Liggins on paid administrative leave and named Bill Bradford as acting superintendent—actions Liggins says should be reversed if the Open Meetings Act violation is found.

How the board responded—and why residents should care

All of the approved local reporting you’re using for this story describes the board as denying an Open Meetings Act violation and refusing to reinstate Liggins. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Liggins is asking the Attorney General to reverse the June 24 denial and require corrective steps tied to what happened in and after the closed session.

Even if you don’t follow school-board meetings closely, this is a transparency fight: Attorney General decisions under the Open Meetings Act can shape how future disputes about what should (and shouldn’t) be discussed in public are handled.

What Kentucky law requires the Attorney General to do next

Under KRS 61.846(2), if a complaining party forwards the written complaint and the public agency’s written denial to the Attorney General, the Attorney General must issue a written decision within ten (10) days, excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

The statute also says the Attorney General may request additional documentation from the agency, and that the office mails copies of the decision to both the agency and the person who filed the complaint on the day the decision is rendered.

When residents should expect the ruling

Because the appeal was filed on June 30, the Attorney General’s decision should come within the ten-day, holiday-excluded timeframe required by law. The exact calendar date can vary depending on when the Attorney General’s office is deemed to have received the complaint-and-denial package.

What to watch for after the decision

WUKY reports that Liggins’s appeal asks the Attorney General to invalidate actions taken during the June 10 meeting, correct the public record, and require future employment decisions to be made in a properly noticed public meeting.

Sources

• WEKU: FCPS superintendent files Open Meetings appeal
• WUKY: Open Meetings Act appeal alleges June 10 violation
• Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS 61.846(2)) — Attorney General decision timing in Open Meetings appeals
• Kentucky Attorney General: Open Records/Open Meetings (appeal process page)
• Lexington Herald-Leader: FCPS superintendent files appeal with KY attorney general