LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Students at Kentucky State University are suing to stop a new state law they say could drastically reshape the school.
According to the documents obtained by WDRB News, the lawsuit asks a judge to block Senate Bill 185, arguing the measure was passed unconstitutionally and threatens immediate harm to students and the university itself.
According to the lawsuit, Senate Bill 185 would place KSU under a five-year financial emergency, increase state oversight of university spending, allow possible academic program cuts and authorize changes to admissions and staffing.
Students also argue the law threatens KSU's identity as Kentucky's only public historically Black college and university. The lawsuit claims lawmakers improperly changed the bill during the legislative process, violating multiple sections of the Kentucky Constitution and makes the law invalid.
The students are now asking a judge to issue an emergency order temporarily blocking the law from taking effect while the case moves forward.
The case was filed in the Franklin Circuit Court, Frankfort, Kentucky.Â
Earlier this month, a group of students filed a similar lawsuit in federal court, saying Senate Bill 185Â violates federal civil rights protections and longstanding desegregation agreements.
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