This year, state lawmakers agreed to a five-year plan to transition the state's only public HBCU, or historically Black College or University, into a polytechnic institution concentrating on in-demand degrees.
While the overhaul won bipartisan support in the legislature, the sweeping reforms are now meeting with legal pushback. Like the first lawsuit, the second suit — initiated by a group of anonymous students — seeks to halt implementation of the changes and have the law declared unconstitutional.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the legal challenge claims the process by which the reforms became law was not properly followed and moving forward with the changes would cause “immediate and irreparable” harm to students.
The bill in question, SB 185, was originally a shell bill, created in anticipation of the addition of new language past the deadline for new bills to be filed — a common practice in the General Assembly.
KSU is not commenting on the ongoing litigation, except to say it has received copies and had no involvement in their filing.
Prior to the court challenges, KSU President Dr. Koffi Akakpo vowed that the overhaul would not disrupt or alter the mission of the university.