Historic preservation group Blue Grass Trust responds to lawsuit by fired executives

Janet Patton
·2 min read

The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation is asking the court to dismiss a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by two former executives.

Former executive director Sheila Ferrell and former assistant executive director Ashley Grigsby filed the lawsuit in Fayette Circuit Court against the Blue Grass Trust and board president Janie Fergus last month. Ferrell and Grigsby were fired in April 2020.

Ferrell alleged she was subjected to verbal attacks while Grigsby alleged discriminatory conduct. Both are seeking compensatory damages for mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation as well as lost wages and punitive damages.

In a response filed in Fayette Circuit Court on May 13, Fergus and the trust deny all accusations and asked Judge Julie M. Goodman to dismiss the case.

According to the filing, conduct by Fergus and board members toward Ferrell and Grigsby “did not rise to the level of outrageous and intolerable behavior required to support a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

Ferrell, in the lawsuit, alleged that she was forced by the board to take a leave of absence after contentious meetings with Fergus. In the response, Blue Grass Trust denied that Fergus “initiated unwarranted confrontation” with Ferrell.

Grigsby, who is Black, alleged that Fergus targeted her and engaged “in certain discriminatory actions based on Ms. Grigsby’s race.” In the response, Blue Grass Trust denied the allegations of discrimination.

The Blue Grass Trust owns the Thomas Hunt Morgan House, at 210 North Broadway, which is where the non-profit’s offices are located.
The Blue Grass Trust owns the Thomas Hunt Morgan House, at 210 North Broadway, which is where the non-profit’s offices are located.

What is the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation?

Blue Grass Trust is a non-profit that advocates for saving historic Kentucky properties. According to its website, current board members include president Fergus, vice president Mike Meuser, secretary Maureen Peters, treasurer Matthew Brooks, Kathy Chopra, Geneva Donaldson, Steve Gardner, John Hackworth, Wanda Jaquith, Lucy Jones, Lindy Karns, Teri Kelly, Debbie Long, Carol Martin, Brenna Pye, Rick Queen, Richard Schein, Megan Winfield, Dan Vivian, Eugene Young and executive director emeritus Richard DeCamp.

The Blue Grass Trust was founded in 1955 to save the John Wesley Hunt house at 201 N. Mill Street in Gratz Park from demolition. They purchased and restored the property, known as Hopemont, and pushed for the creation of Lexington’s first local historic district, Gratz Park, in 1958. The trust has been instrumental over the decades in saving many other historic properties, including Shakertown of Pleasant Hill, the Mary Todd Lincoln House, Benjamin Latrobe’s Pope Villa, and the Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan House at 210 N. Broadway, which houses the offices of the trust.