Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has upheld the Henderson County Detention Center's handling of an open records request, ruling that the facility did not violate state law when it allowed a former employee five business days to file a legal challenge before releasing employment records.

Anthony Willett requested records related to a detention center employee's employment on March 18, 2026. The facility responded March 24, providing Willett with the name and contact information of a Henderson County Fiscal Court employee who maintains the requested records. The detention center also informed Willett that the employee had five business days to file a civil action under the "Beckham" standard—a Kentucky legal precedent that permits individuals affected by public records disclosure to seek court intervention to prevent release.

Willett appealed the decision to the Attorney General, arguing the detention center violated the Kentucky Open Records Act by providing the employee time to file a protective action.

Coleman's office found no violation. The Attorney General noted that the detention center properly identified records it did not possess and provided appropriate contact information, complying with state law requirements. Regarding the five-day delay, the office cited prior decisions finding that "ten days was not an unreasonable delay" for an employee to pursue legal action under Beckham v. Board of Education of Jefferson County, a 1994 Kentucky Supreme Court case recognizing that individuals with privacy interests may challenge records disclosure in court.

The decision, issued April 22, establishes that the Henderson County Detention Center, a 465-bed facility, did not violate the law by balancing open records obligations with employee privacy protections. Under Kentucky law, residents have a right to inspect nonexempt public records unless exemptions apply, such as those protecting personal information where disclosure would constitute a "clearly unwarranted invasion" of privacy.

Willett has 30 days to appeal the Attorney General's decision in circuit court.