The Kentucky Attorney General issued the following open records and open meetings decisions last week:
1. 25-ORD-019 (In re: Nancy Tucker/Hopkinsville Police Department)
Summary: The Hopkinsville Police Department violated the Open Records Act when it withheld medical records, autopsy records, and photos of a deceased individual. The Department also violated the Act when it failed to properly invoke KRS 61.878(1)(h) to withhold records. The Department did not violate the Act when it redacted personal identifying information under KRS 61.878(1)(a).
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-019.pdf
2. 25-OMD-020 (In re: Tanyqua Oliver/Fayette County Board of Education)
Summary: The Fayette County Board of Education did not violate the Open Meetings Act when it held a private reception prior to its official meeting. The Board also did not violate the Act when it requested that the Appellant modify her behavior but did not require that she leave the meeting. The Office is unable to resolve the factual disputes between the parties regarding whether the Appellant received the Board’s response to her complaint.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-OMD-020.pdf
3. 25-ORD-021 (In re: Tiffany Aikin/Office of Medical Cannabis)
Summary: The Office of Medical Cannabis did not violate the Open Records Act when it did not provide a copy of a record that does not exist.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-021.pdf
4. 25-ORD-022 (In re: Bryan Brown/Lee Adjustment Center)
Summary: The Lee Adjustment Center violated the Open Records Act when it did not respond to a request under the Act.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-022.pdf
5. 25-ORD-023 (In re: Robert Stone/Covington Police Department)
Summary: The Office cannot find that the Covington Police Department violated the Open Records Act because the Office cannot resolve the factual dispute between the parties concerning receipt of a request for records and issuance of a response.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-023.pdf
6. 25-ORD-024 (In re: Karim Zein/Kentucky State Penitentiary)
Summary: The Kentucky State Penitentiary violated the Open Records Act when it failed to cite the specific exception authorizing the nondisclosure of public records. However, the Penitentiary did not violate the Act when it denied a request for records posing a security threat under KRS 197.025(1) and a record not within its custody or control.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-024.pdf
7. 25-ORD-025 (In re: Austyn Ponce/Grant County Detention Center)
Summary: The Grant County Detention Center violated the Open Records Act when it failed to timely respond to a request under the Act.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-025.pdf
8. 25-ORD-026 (In re: Jerry Eldridge/Little Sandy Correctional Complex)
Summary: The Office lacks jurisdiction to consider a complaint alleging that the Little Sandy Correctional Complex violated the Open Records Act because the Appellant has not submitted a request to inspect records.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-026.pdf
9. 25-ORD-027 (In re: Randall Knuckles/Bell County Fiscal Court)
Summary: The Office cannot find that the Bell County Fiscal Court violated the Open Records Act when it did not respond to a request it states it did not receive.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-027.pdf
10. 25-ORD-028 (In re: Jeffrey Gegler/Kentucky State Police)
Summary: The Kentucky State Police violated the Open Records Act when it failed to give a detailed explanation of the cause for delay and the earliest date when requested records would be available as required under KRS 61.872(5).
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-028.pdf
11. 25-ORD-029 (In re: John Cheves/Cabinet for Health and Family Services)
Summary: The Cabinet for Health and Family Services did not violate the Open Records Act when it could not provide records that do not exist. The Cabinet also did not violate the Act when it withheld several emails under KRS 61.878(1)(i) and (j).
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-029.pdf
12. 25-ORD-030 (In re: Stephen Kininmonth/Louisville Metro Government)
Summary: Louisville Metro Government did not violate the Open Records Act when it did not provide records that it does not possess. Metro also did not violate the Act when it did not grant the portion of the request seeking information without describing any public records to be inspected.
https://www.ag.ky.gov/Resources/orom/2025/25-ORD-030.pdf
13. 25-ORD-031 (In re: Stephen Kininmonth/Louisville Metro Government)
Summary: The Office cannot find that Louisville Metro Government violated the Open Records Act when it claims to have provided all records responsive to a request.
