Kentucky cosmetology board tells lawmakers it has filled vacancies and tightened procedures amid pending lawsuits

The interim joint committee on licensing, occupations and administrative regulations heard June 18 from the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, which told lawmakers it has filled key vacancies, updated policies and strengthened communication with licensees.

"We now are in a well positioned place and will continue our mission of protecting Kentucky consumers while supporting a professional, accountable, and well regulated cosmetology industry," said Joni Upchurch, executive director for the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. She told the committee the agency oversees nearly 36,000 licensees across 13 licensure and permit types, about 6,000 salons, 56 schools and roughly 3,000 students.

Why it matters: Upchurch framed the briefing as both an operational update and a public-protection report after an LOIC review. Committee members pressed for clarity about litigation and the board’s finances after public concerns surfaced about past disciplinary actions.

Representative Smith said constituent complaints included a long-running case and that "open records show over 400,000 that's been spent on attorney fees." Eden Davis Stevens, the board’s general counsel, said the matters remain in the court system and that several suits now name former staff as individuals; she told the panel that the legal expenses cited are not drawn from the state general fund.

Stevens said some suits are pending in state circuit courts and in federal court and that the board did not, as an institution, remain the defendant in every case. Upchurch acknowledged the public interest in the cases but emphasized limits on what the committee could discuss while litigation is active.

Committee members thanked the board for its work and asked staff to make board minutes and other documents available to them; Upchurch said minutes exist and that she would provide them and work with members on transparency and inspections schedules.

Next steps: No formal action or vote was taken. The committee moved on to consider barbering topics; presenters were invited to provide follow-up materials to members for the interim.