KY child protection agency investigating matter that led to Lexington principal’s leave

Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Karla Ward
·2 min read
1

The Kentucky state department that handles child protection has “an active investigation” of a situation that resulted in a Lexington middle school principal being placed on administrative leave.

“I have confirmed that the Department for Community Based Services has an active investigation with regard to this matter,” Susan Dunlap, spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in an email to the Herald-Leader.

Dunlap and Fayette County Public Schools have not provided any specific details about the situation that resulted in Winburn Middle School Principal Mike Hale being placed on administrative leave.

Hale did not respond to the Herald-Leader for a request for comment.

The school district will not provide documents to the Herald-Leader regarding Hale’s suspension or his personnel file. Officials said those documents are excluded from disclosure under the Kentucky Open Records Act because there is currently an active administrative investigation.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services cannot comment on matters that are under investigation, Dunlap said.

Lexington police officials said they are not investigating the situation. The Kentucky Department of Education doesn’t have disciplinary records regarding Hale, spokespeople for the two organizations said.

Fayette County school district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall has only said that Hale was placed on administrative leave “per our normal human resources procedures.”

“Typically, we do not comment on personnel matters and cannot provide additional details at this time,” Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said in an April 11 email to families announcing Hale’s leave.

“However, due to the public nature of the situation, we wanted to provide timely information to families,” he said. Liggins did not elaborate on the “public nature” of the situation in the email.

Assistant Principal BJ Martin will be serving as acting principal, according to Liggins.

When Dunbar High School Principal Marlon Ball was placed on administrative leave in late 2022, the district gave the Herald-Leader a copy of a letter that Liggins sent to Ball through the Kentucky Open Records Act. A request for similar information in Hale’s case was denied.