LEXINGTON, Ky. — Leaders of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents expressed support Monday for executive director Jim Flynn despite recent allegations that he engaged in inappropriate behavior toward a student while serving as a high school principal in the early 2000s.

Flynn, who has led KASS since 2019, faces accusations from Laura Wills-Coppelman, a 2001 Shelby County High School graduate, who said Flynn paid her inappropriate attention when he was her principal. She alleged he gave her gifts, called her frequently and requested regular one-on-one meetings. Another accuser, Hannah Ross, said Flynn failed to properly investigate rumors that a teacher was sexually abusing her in 2001 and 2002.

Flynn has denied wrongdoing and pointed to a 2022 decision by the Education Professional Standards Board to dismiss Wills-Coppelman's complaint after a two-year investigation. KASS president Donald Shively, superintendent of Paducah Independent Schools, cited the same EPSB dismissal in his statement of support.

"The matter was investigated by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, which concluded there was no violation of professional standards and dismissed the case," Shively said by email. "KASS remains focused on supporting Kentucky's public schools and the education, safety, and wellbeing of students they serve."

Wills-Coppelman first published her allegations anonymously in 2020 and came forward publicly during a contentious December board meeting in Shelby County regarding allegations against a basketball coach. The outcry has prompted legislative action, with Wills-Coppelman, Ross and others advocating for bills addressing grooming, educator misconduct reporting and restrictions on relationships between school staff and recent graduates.

The EPSB, which investigates misconduct complaints and can suspend or revoke educator certificates, withheld key records from the investigation citing attorney-client privilege. The Kentucky Attorney General's Office sided with the EPSB's decision not to release those documents, leaving the public without insight into why the complaint was dismissed.

The Kentucky Association of School Administrators issued a statement supporting anti-grooming legislation, saying "public schools must be safe havens, places where students are protected, believed, and supported."

KASS paid Flynn approximately $155,000 annually in 2024, according to the organization's tax filings. Of the 22 board members and executives contacted by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, only three responded, with most deferring to board leadership.