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Breathitt Co. school board threatens state with lawsuit
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The Breathitt County School Board wants the state to end its management of the county school system.

The Kentucky Department of Education voted last year to take over day-to-day operations of Breathitt County schools.

But now school board members claim their rights were violated.

The controversy stems from a meeting on May 28th that lasted less than five minutes because board members refused to accept the agenda - a move that drew criticism from Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday.

"On (May) 30 we received a letter from the commissioner stating that we had been suspended from our advisory roles," Breathitt County School Board member Rebecca Holbrook-Watkins said. "As far as suspended for the meetings until I guess he felt it was necessary to put us back in."

Attorney Ned Pillersdorf from Prestonsburg this week sent Holliday a letter on behalf of the five board members, claiming their officials roles in the school district were wrongly terminated and threatening legal action if the KDE does not end its management of the school system.

"We know our constituents on a personal basis as far as what their preferences would be and what needs to go on in the school system," Holbrook-Watkins said. "Far better than anyone in Frankfort does."

The letter compares the school board's situation to the way Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks was treated by the Montgomery, Alabama Police.

A copy of the letter is attached at the bottom of this story.

"I understand there has been a letter that's been sent," Larry Hammond, the state manager for the Breathitt County school system, said late Wednesday. "I contacted the representatives from KDE and that letter has not been received as of yet. "So, as a result of that, I have no comment."

We hope to get comments from the KDE once the letter is received.

The Breathitt County School Board last year waived its right to a hearing, which paved the way for the state's take-over.



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