Kentucky
Kentucky lawmakers advance stricter version of anti-DEI bill. Here’s what it would ban
FRANKFORT — Savannah Fernandez Searcy, a senior at the University of Louisville, said part of the reason why she studied abroad is because of a scholarship specifically for the Latino population.
She’s worried those scholarships could now be in jeopardy as Kentucky lawmakers push a bill that would limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 6, also known one of the “anti-DEI” bills in this year’s session, passed out of the House Education Committee Thursday afternoon after over an hour of testimony.
The bill almost unrecognizable from the Senate version of the bill, though, after a House committee substitute.
The Senate’s version of the bill prohibits colleges and universities from requiring students and faculty to “describe the attitude or actions in support of or in opposition to specific ideologies or beliefs” to receive admission, employment, promotions or graduation.
But the House’s committee substitute is a condensed version of House Bill 9, which comes down harder on DEI polices.
The committee substitute, which has not yet been posted online, bans race-based scholarships and defunds DEI offices and officer positions. It also prohibits the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary education from approving degrees that require courses containing “discriminatory concepts.”
The bill could be heard by the full House of Representatives as early as Friday.
As of Thursday morning, Rep. Kevin Jackson, R-Bowling Green, said SB 6 sponsor Sen. Mike Wilson didn’t know the changes that had been made to his bill.
Supporters of the bill said it is supposed to promote critical thinking and constructive dialogue and promote intellectual and viewpoint diversity.
Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, said that the bill is supposed to hold colleges and universities accountable.
“It would ensure the post-secondary system in Kentucky is held accountable to dismantle systems in Kentucky that have misguided DEI bureaucracies that have cost Kentucky taxpayers an unknown amount, but at least tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars, over the past 13 years — a time period in which our campuses have also experienced a dramatic drop in overall enrollment in students,” Decker said.
Gavin Cooper, a community and leadership development student at the University of Kentucky, said he supported the bill because he believes it will protect academic freedom.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have professors that truly push the bounds of debate in our classrooms, but I know from students and professors with which I’ve talked that is not the case across campus” Cooper said. “No one on campus should feel fear that they will be punished for their thoughts in the classroom.”
Kentucky is following a part of a larger trend of conservative states striking down DEI policies at colleges and universities. More recently, Florida banned its colleges and universities from using state and federal funds for the programs.
In an opinion issued on Thursday, the Kentucky Attorney General said public universities that have certain DEI policies violate the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act.
Attorney General Russell Coleman said in the opinion that it’s unconstitutional to use underrepresented minorities as a metric for funding college.
The legislation lacks support, though, from some Kentucky colleges and universities.
University of Kentucky’s president took a rare step and spoke out against the bills that curb DEI inclusion efforts on campus. Meanwhile, the University of Louisville released a statement in support of DEI programs. Both institutions have a dedicated office for DEI initiatives and program offerings.
Fernandez Searcy said supporters of the bill misunderstand DEI.
“It’s both upsetting and also infuriating to me personally, because I think DEI, especially in Kentucky, has become synonymous with discriminatory, and this idea of whatever people think reverse racism may be,” Fernandez Searcy said. “But, in actuality, it’s about lifting up these underrepresented groups, empowering them and making sure that they have access to the same opportunities that the entire student body has.”
During the education committee hearing, other critics of the bill said it will bring unintended consequences for minority students.
Travis Powell, vice president and general counsel for the Council of Postsecondary Education, said the council opposes the bill because it could potentially hurt recruitment and support of underrepresented students at colleges and universities.
“We simply can’t afford to leave anybody behind at any of our campuses, and we’ll do everything we can in order to help them be successful,” Powell said. “We fear that this legislation may limit that in some form or fashion, even if those resource centers still exist.”
Felicia Nu’Man, director of public policy for policy and justice for the Louisville Urban League, said the bill will claw back on progress that’s been made in Kentucky and make students less educated and competitive compared to peers at other universities.
The bill passed out of committee on a 13-3 vote. Jackson and Rep. Scott Lewis, R-Hartford, passed on voting.
Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville celebrated Juneteenth with music, dancing and a parade highlighting Black culture, history and unity.
The Kentucky Black Festival’s Juneteenth Unity Parade brought hundreds of people to west Louisville, with marching bands, dancers, community organizations and families joining together to honor the meaning behind the holiday.
“Seeing the families having a good time seeing everyone dancing, with everything that’s happening in this city and happening in the world, a moment to just take a breath and smile and relax your shoulders is what this is all about,” said Walter Murrah, executive director of the Kentucky Black Foundation.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
For organizers, the celebration is about more than a parade. It’s about recognizing the history that paved the way for future generations.
“Celebrating Juneteenth is more than just dancing and singing. It’s also reaching back and looking at the giants that paved the way for us, but also taking a moment to just celebrate our blackness because I think oftentimes it’s looked down upon, left out, overlooked, and those kind of things,” Murrah said. “And so being Black is beautiful. Being Black is, you know, it should be celebrated, and that’s what Juneteenth is about, is, you know, marrying the history but also looking ahead to what’s in the future.”
Attendees said the event created a space to celebrate their heritage and come together.
“We’re not celebrated enough, so with this being Juneteenth for freedom and unity to come together, this is the day for us to do that,” said Tara Britt.
Community members also emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about the holiday and its history.
“It’s very important because if we don’t tell them, they won’t know. We have to get educated to educate them because it’s not in the schools right now,” said Shannon Gilbert. “So we get all the knowledge and give it back to them and make sure they’re educated because they’re the future.”
Organizers said the goal is to make sure Juneteenth is not only remembered but experienced through community celebrations like the parade.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but communities across the country have recognized and celebrated the day for decades.
Kentucky
Demetrus Liggins disputes Fayette County board’s claim he resigned, attorneys allege misconduct
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — The attorneys for Dr. Demetrus Liggins issued a press release Friday alleging the Fayette County Board of Education publicly announced a resignation that never happened, cited the wrong Kentucky statutes to justify placing him on administrative leave, and installed a replacement superintendent without legal authority to do so.
The press release, dated June 19, 2026, gives FCPS a four-day deadline to rescind the administrative leave, withdraw the replacement-superintendent designation, and correct the public record. If the district does not comply, Dr. Liggins’ legal team has reserved the right to pursue contractual, statutory, constitutional, defamation, false-light, civil-rights, and tort claims.
According to the press release, Dr. Liggins proposed discussions toward a possible separation agreement — he did not submit an unconditional resignation. His attorneys allege he expressly corrected the Board’s characterization before the Board acted, yet the Board publicly announced a “resignation notice” anyway.
The press release also notes a striking internal contradiction in the Board’s own June 11 letter: the document’s letterhead continued to identify “Superintendent: Demetrus Liggins, PhD” even while the body of the letter announced an “Acting Superintendent.”
Dr. Liggins’ attorneys argue the Board’s June 11 leave letter cited KRS 160.160 and KRS 160.370 — neither of which, according to counsel, expressly authorizes a board to indefinitely suspend a contracted superintendent, bar him from communicating with district-affiliated persons, exclude him from all school property, and install a substitute officeholder.
Counsel argues the Board deliberately avoided KRS 160.350, the statute that specifically governs superintendent terms, vacancies, acting appointments, and removal for cause, according to the press release.
The press release also invokes Lexington-Fayette’s unique status as Kentucky’s sole urban-county government under KRS Chapter 67A, arguing the Board’s legal framing is further flawed because Fayette County is not governed by the special Chapter 67C school-governance provisions applicable to a consolidated local government such as Louisville–Jefferson County.
Attorney Amos N. Jones issued a direct on-the-record statement in the press release.
“This is not administrative leave in any meaningful sense. They announced a resignation that never happened, displaced the lawful superintendent, installed another superintendent, silenced Dr. Liggins inside his own system, and then hired investigators to determine whether the result already imposed should be imposed. Kentucky law does not allow a school board to manufacture a vacancy, perform a removal first, and search for a justification afterward,” Jones said.
According to the press release, Dr. Liggins’s contract runs through June 30, 2029. His attorneys allege the Board’s actions breach that contract by stripping him of his office, authority, professional standing, and future-career value while continuing to pay his salary. The contract reportedly prohibits reassignment without Dr. Liggins’s express written consent.
The press release notes that any litigation or settlement arising from this dispute could carry significant financial consequences for Fayette County taxpayers.
The press release places individual Board members — not just the institution — on notice of potential personal legal exposure. Attorneys cite what they describe as a false resignation narrative, the alleged creation of a fictitious vacancy, concerted displacement, and a false-light portrayal of Dr. Liggins. The notice also warns Board members that attorneys retained by FCPS may not represent their individual interests and that they should have received Upjohn warnings about privilege and conflicts.
According to the press release, counsel has demanded preservation of all communications, drafts, closed-session materials, media contacts, video records, investigative instructions, succession discussions, and communications with public officials, unions, employees, activists, and outside counsel. The inclusion of “media contacts” and “communications with public officials” in the demand suggests Dr. Liggins’ legal team believes there may be involvement by parties beyond the Board itself.
As of Friday, June 19, 2026, the four-day deadline issued to FCPS is running. If the district does not comply, Dr. Liggins’ legal team has indicated it will pursue legal action.
Summer practice is full underway for the 2026-27 Kentucky men’s basketball squad. And while the on-court teaching is critical to the offseason, what’s happening off the floor is equally as important.
Earlier this week, head coach Mark Pope and the entire team made a trip to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, where they helped put together Father’s Day goodie bags, built toys, played board games with the kids, and shared laughs all around. Watching Franck Kepnang, Mason Williams, and Jerone Morton smile ear-to-ear while losing in a board game will make your heart full.
This was more than just a quick stop, though. This was about building real relationships and putting smiles on the faces of kids who deserve it. Returning center Malachi Moreno even reconnected with one of his new friends.
“There was a kid I’ve actually kept in touch with for a while. His name’s Jackson,” Moreno said Thursday. “Took some of my teammates in to meet him. I met him at Dance Blue. We’ve been playing Fortnite together. Got his PSN (PlayStation Network) tag and we’re going to play some Fortnite. Me, him, Kam (Williams), and Trent (Noah), we’re gonna play some Fortnite together.
“He’s such a cool kid. I think the guys really took in what it means to be at this brand. We walk in any room, we’re gonna brighten someone’s day. They might not be as fortunate as us but we’re taking time out of our day to go see them, and we’re having fun with it. I just wanted them to realize how much fun these kids are having with us.”
Judging by the video that UK put out on Thursday (which you can watch below) , it sure looks like everyone was having a blast. Some things are bigger than basketball.
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