Professor Sues Over Law School Dean Appointment

So Weber • July 17, 2026 • 3 min read

Professor Ramsi Woodcock sues UK university over Dean appointment. Read the legal complaint details and implications for higher education law.

Professor Sues Over Law School Dean Appointment - law school dean appointment — Professor Sues Over Law School Dean Appointment

University of Kentucky law professor Ramsi Woodcock sued the university and senior administrators in federal court, seeking to stop U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove from taking office as dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law.

Woodcock filed the complaint, Woodcock v. Van Tatenhove et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on July 13, 2026. The suit names Van Tatenhove, UK President Eli Capilouto, Provost Robert DiPaola, and the University of Kentucky as defendants. The legal action alleges that appointing Van Tatenhove over faculty opposition breaches Woodcock’s employment contract and university rules that incorporate accreditation requirements.

The claim centers on standards issued by the American Bar Association, which accredits the law school. Woodcock argues that those standards discourage the appointment of a dean over the stated objection of a substantial majority of the faculty without good cause. The complaint also states that generally, a dean must hold academic tenure unless extraordinary circumstances exist.

University records state that the appointment followed the established dean-selection process and included consultation with faculty and other stakeholders. The university maintains that Van Tatenhove’s experience meets the extraordinary-circumstances provision in ABA Standard 203. Those arguments have not yet been tested in court.

Van Tatenhove joined the federal bench in 2006 following a nomination by President George W. Bush and previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The university announced his selection in March. DiPaola told a University of Kentucky Board of Trustees committee in April that the judge’s experience satisfied the extraordinary-circumstances provision.

The federal docket shows that Woodcock also sought a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and expedited discovery. He filed an amended restraining-order motion on July 14 and an emergency motion to expedite on July 15.

Judge Robert E. Wier recused himself under 28 U.S.C. §455, after which Chief District Judge David L. Bunning referred the matter to Sixth Circuit Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton for reassignment. Van Tatenhove is due to start as dean on July 20, according to the university.

While Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear publicly criticised the selection, Republican figures defended it. The docket showed no substantive ruling on Woodcock’s request for emergency relief when this article was prepared.

Woodcock argues that University of Kentucky rules and his employment contract require compliance with ABA Standard 203. The complaint asks the court to block Van Tatenhove’s appointment and prevent future appointments or reappointments made against the wishes of a faculty majority.

Lawyers advising on dean appointments should record the faculty’s views, confirm who has authority to make the appointment and explain any decision to appoint a candidate without tenure. This specific dispute highlights the tension between judicial experience and faculty governance structures in legal education.

For the students and faculty at the law school, the delay in a final ruling creates immediate uncertainty. The institution is moving forward with a new leader while the legal system decides if the selection process violated the rules that govern the accreditation of the institution. Van Tatenhove’s position as a serving federal judge has already led to recusals and the referral of the case for reassignment. A decision on Woodcock’s injunction request may assist counsel dealing with faculty opposition to appointments at other accredited law schools.