Petition filed seeking removal of Fayette County school board chairman over financial oversight concerns
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A formal petition has been filed with the Kentucky House of Representatives calling for the removal of Tyler Murphy as chairman and member of the Fayette County Board of Education, alleging repeated failures in financial oversight and violations of state law.
In the petition addressed to the House clerk, GOP Representative Matt Lockett, who represents a portion of Fayette County, asks fellow lawmakers to remove Murphy from office under the Kentucky Constitution, arguing that his actions amount to misconduct in office and a breach of public trust.
According to the document, one of the central issues involves Superintendent Demetrus Liggins’ use of a Fayette County Public Schools credit card. The petition states that between January 2023 and May 2025, more than $150,000 was charged in expenses described as excessive and, in some cases, personal in nature — and that Murphy failed to provide proper oversight of those expenditures.
The petition also claims Murphy knew about a roughly $16 million budget deficit in early 2025 but did not inform some fellow board members, and that he voted to approve tax increases affecting Fayette County residents without following required public notice procedures under state law.
Additional allegations include allowing the district to enter into a lobbying contract related to those tax increases without fully informing the board, and pushing to hire an outside audit firm even though the state auditor had already announced a similar review of district finances.
On the second page of the filing, the petition argues that these actions violate multiple Kentucky statutes governing school board responsibilities and financial management, and that any one of them could qualify as misconduct in office — but taken together, the document says, they warrant removal from his position.
The petition formally asks the House of Representatives to begin proceedings to remove Murphy from office and disqualify him from holding public office in Kentucky.
Lockett called for the resignations of Liggins and Murphy last year.
ABC36 NEWS NOW has reached out to FCPS for comment but has not yet heard back.
However, District 4 School Board Member Amanda Ferguson sent us the following statement:
“While I certainly understand Rep. Lockett’s frustration and concerns, and I share them, it’s unfortunate that it has come to this. If district leadership had been willing to work together with the full board, we could have addressed issues as a team. The lack of focus on our students and their success is the most regrettable aspect of the last three years.” — Amanda Ferguson, FCPS School Board Member, District 4
Read the petition by clicking the link below.
