FCPS principal’s amended lawsuit claims school is keeping him on leave until contract expires

March 14, 2023

Hannah Woosley-Collins,

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — A Lexington high school principal that was placed on leave in November 2022 and is suing Fayette County Public Schools amended the lawsuit Monday, claiming he’s intentionally being kept on leave until his contract expires.

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball’s amended lawsuit states the “[Fayette County Board of Education, the superintendent, the chief school leadership officer and the district spokeswoman] are conspiring to keep [him] on leave until his contract expires and then refuse to renew the contract.”

The lawsuit states each entity or person being sued knows Ball can’t “obtain other employment” while under investigation and that they are all trying to force him to resign as the “window of opportunity for [him] to seek other employment with another school district is rapidly closing…”

Ball was placed on leave shortly after the unexpected death of the school’s athletic director Jason Howell. The Fayette County coroner ruled Howell’s death as suicide.

After Howell’s death, Ball claims it was used by the defendants as “an opportunity to further advance the campaign of harassment/discrimination against [him].”

He’s now suing for interference with prospective contractural relationship; punitive damages; and causation and damages, along with false light; retaliation; breach of contract; defamation, libel and slander; intrusion upon seclusion; and punitive damages.