The school district hired Leigh Latherow, a lawyer from Ashland-based VanAntwerp Attorneys, to investigate claims made against Liggins by budget director Ann Sampson-Grimes. She filed a lawsuit in September claiming she was retaliated against after warning of financial problems.
A now-resolved $16 million shortfall was found in the district’s budget last year, along with a shrinking contingency fund.
The new report says Liggins did not keep the Fayette County School Board fully informed of the district’s financial situation, and did not properly oversee the district’s finance and budget departments. The school district’s finances are also being audited by the state and an independent firm from Texas.
The investigation also says Liggins did not withhold that information intentionally.
Liggins said in a statement that he takes full responsibility and should have been more involved in the budgeting process:
“In short, the report confirms what I have shared with our community on multiple occasions. As superintendent, I relied too heavily on the leaders and teams working in the area of budget and finance every day when I should have been asking sharper questions and demanding more comprehensive detail,” he said. “As superintendent, the buck stops with me. It is my responsibility to ensure the fiscal health of the district and stewardship of the dollars our taxpayers invest in the education of our children. The obligations I owe to the members of the Fayette County Board of Education, and to our students, staff, families, and community are spelled out in board policy, and I regret that I was not more hands-on in the day-to-day operations of budget and finance.”
Fayette County School Board Tyler Murphy also gave a statement, saying the board will be considering “corrective measures”:
“We recognize the FCPS community’s interest in this matter. Given the seriousness of the matter and the importance of ensuring a fair and thorough process, the Board will carefully consider the investigation findings and anticipates making a determination on appropriate corrective measures in the coming weeks,” Murphy said.
