The Kentucky Attorney General's Office has determined that Meade County School District violated the state's Open Records Act by failing to respond to one public records request and providing an incomplete response to another, according to Open Records Decision 26-ORD-041 issued Feb. 10.

Kyle Link submitted the first records request to the district on September 16, 2024, seeking documents related to a specific incident involving himself and two others, including records related to an investigation about limitations to his access to Meade County High School grounds and his removal as wrestling coach. The district provided no response to that initial request, the decision states.

Link subsequently filed a second request on March 28, 2025, and the district provided some records. However, the district did not provide all responsive documents or affirmatively state that certain records do not exist, the Attorney General found. Specifically, Link requested "any and all communications" regarding the incident and subsequent actions, but the district's response was incomplete.

Under Kentucky law, public agencies must respond to open records requests within five business days and notify requesters of their decision. If records do not exist, agencies must "affirmatively so state" within that timeframe. When agencies fail to respond to any portion of a request or ignore parts of a request, it constitutes a violation of the Open Records Act.

The Attorney General determined the district violated the act in both instances. A party aggrieved by the decision may appeal through circuit court within 30 days, according to the ruling. The Meade County School District, located in Brandenburg, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.