Lexington council moves DEI officer into HR, keeps office intact after weeks of public pressure

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance to create an unclassified administrative officer position in the Division of Human Resources and transfer the current officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into that post while explicitly not abolishing the council-created DEI position.

The move came after more than an hour of public comment in which scores of residents, faith leaders and local advocates urged the council not to dismantle DEI work. Councilmember James Brown offered an amendment to retain and realign the incumbent DEI position within HR; Councilmember Grama seconded the amendment and the council approved it by voice vote. Following procedural confusion about reading and amendments, the council later reconsidered and gave a final roll-call approval to the clarified ordinance.

Supporters said the change preserves DEI functions while responding to recent state and federal policy pressure. Dozens of speakers described DEI as essential to public safety, education and equitable access to city services. "This is not just about a single department. It is about whether we will stand strong as a city committed to progress or roll over in the face of the rising tide of tyranny," resident Nicole Guacheri said during public comment. Several other speakers recounted personal experiences they said DEI programs had helped address, including language access, anti-bullying supports and workplace accommodations.

Councilmember Brown framed his motion as an effort to keep the work and the employee in place: he said the intent was "to realign the current person in that position in HR, to continue doing the work that they are currently doing in regards to recruitment and training." Councilmembers Sheehan and Morton voiced support for Brown's alternative as preserving the office's funding while allowing for administrative realignment.

The item required additional procedural steps after an initial reading because Brown's amendment constituted a material change; the council moved to reconsider and the ordinance was reread with the new language. On final roll call for that item the council recorded unanimous support among members present: Councilmember Hale, Councilmember Legree, Councilmember Lynch, Councilmember Morton, Councilmember Savigny, Councilmember Sheehan, Vice Mayor Wu, Councilmember Beasley, Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Curtis, Councilmember Ellinger, Councilmember Elliot Baxter and Councilmember Gray all voted yes.

The ordinance transfers the incumbent into the newly created administrative officer post effective upon passage and explicitly states it does so "without abolishing the unclassified position of officer of diversity and inclusion." The transcript and council materials do not specify a timetable for recruitment to any vacated positions, nor whether other DEI staff positions will be affected; council members said further implementation details will be worked out by administration and HR.

Public speakers who urged the council to retain DEI included educators, members of religious organizations and residents speaking from lived experience. Deborah Winslow, a nurse, told the council eliminating the office could harm public-health and social-service partnerships, and Rabbi David Wirtschafter spoke on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism about DEI's role in fostering safety. Several speakers referenced state and federal actions affecting DEI programs and urged the council to resist what they called preemptive compliance.

Council members and staff said the action preserves the incumbent's position and the office's funding while placing administration of the duties in HR, providing the council time to evaluate how to continue the work under changing external policies. The ordinance was approved by the council and will be implemented by administrative staff according to the language read into the record.