UK student-athletes received money for work not performed, documents say

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — University of Kentucky student-athletes received compensation for work not performed as part-time employees in the patient transport department at Albert B. Chandler Hospital, according to a report filed with the NCAA.

The report was filed on Sept. 3 and concerns dates from the spring 2021 semester through March 2022. An investigation first began in February 2022 after a possible violation was discovered.

According to the investigation, the violation was from a “small number” of student-athletes who “concealed” their use of a clock-in/clock-out system at the hospital which resulted in compensation though work was not performed. The report also mentioned a former hospital employee for not “adequately reviewing” reported hours.

The supervisor over the hospital’s patient transport department denied having any knowledge that student-athletes were recording hours that hadn’t been worked.

After this, the report says Human Resources suspended the involved student-athletes and the supervisor until the investigation was finished.

Utilizing videos, Internal Audit concluded that some, but not all, hours were recorded but not worked. After the audit was released, Athletics Compliance determined violations had occurred and declared an undisclosed amount of student-athletes ineligible. Those student-athletes were fired from the hospital with no eligibility to be rehired. Additionally, the hospital will no longer allow any student-athletes to work in UK Healthcare unless there’s a specific academic reason.

The involved supervisor was fired for “inappropriate or unsuitable job performance and/or gross negligence of oversight.”