Overview
- A class-action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky challenges Senate Bill 185 and seeks a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, and $500 million in damages.
- The suit targets provisions that declare five years of financial exigency at KSU, recast the HBCU as a polytechnic, cap offerings at 10 academic areas, require state approval for purchases over $20,000, and allow program closures and faculty terminations.
- Plaintiffs argue the law violates Title VI, the Equal Protection Clause, and federal desegregation and land-grant rules, citing a 2023 federal notice of about $172 million in underfunding compared with the University of Kentucky.
- The emergency motion warns certain actions could start June 1 and asks the court to pause program cuts, layoffs, mission changes, enrollment limits, and debt-based barriers while the case proceeds.
- Kentucky State University says it was not involved in bringing the case, and no court has ruled on the injunction request yet.