The former chief of staff for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System is suing the system, alleging it violated the Kentucky Whistleblower Act and wrongfully terminated her position, The Kentucky Lantern reported.
Hannah Rivera, who worked for the system in various roles over a decade, claims the system’s president and board chair retaliated against her for making “numerous good faith reports of waste, mismanagement, and violations of the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” The system filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, and a system spokesperson told The Kentucky Lantern that it “refutes Ms. Rivera’s claims.”
Rivera alleges that tensions started with board chair Barry Martin—appointed by Democratic governor Andy Beshear—after she put out a press release announcing the system’s new president, Ryan Quarles, a Republican who had run for governor.
According to the lawsuit, Martin was “intent on keeping Quarles from getting the position,” had stalled the search process and didn’t approve the announcement, despite multiple requests from Rivera to do so. Martin allegedly told her he’d been waiting on the governor’s approval and demanded she pull back the release. Rivera saw this as “political interference” and reported Martin’s demand to the system’s general counsel Pam Duncan and Quarles.
Rivera proceeded to raise “numerous concerns about Martin’s interference and overstepping,” among other issues. Rivera also pushed for a forensic audit recommended by an earlier state audit, raised concerns about new hires Quarles had previous connections with and repeatedly brought up that not enough was being done to address “dozens of widespread needed changes to KCTCS” found in a systemwide study by Huron Consulting Group, according to the lawsuit.
“Quarles began telling Rivera that Martin wanted her gone, she had too much power and influence, did not know how to stay in her lane, and repeatedly told Rivera he had to ‘figure out what to do with her,’” the lawsuit read.
In July, Rivera told Quarles “she knew she was being pushed out” and offered up a voluntary separation agreement. The lawsuit alleges Quarles put Rivera on administrative leave and terminated her employment, though the system claimed she resigned.
The system disputes this version of events, The Kentucky Lantern reported. In its response to the lawsuit, the system claimed Rivera resigned when she gave Quarles the signed separation agreement, she did not include severance payment as a condition and Quarles accepted the resignation immediately, as opposed to waiting for her proposed resignation date of Dec. 31.
