Kentucky Retirement Systems by and Through the Board of Trustees of The v. Western Kentucky University ( 2021 )


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  •                  RENDERED: AUGUST 20, 2021; 10:00 A.M.
    TO BE PUBLISHED
    Commonwealth of Kentucky
    Court of Appeals
    NO. 2020-CA-0793-MR
    KENTUCKY RETIREMENT SYSTEMS,
    BY AND THROUGH THE BOARD OF
    TRUSTEES OF KENTUCKY RETIREMENT
    SYSTEMS, AND ON BEHALF OF KENTUCKY
    EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM                                       APPELLANT
    APPEAL FROM FRANKLIN CIRCUIT COURT
    v.              HONORABLE PHILLIP J. SHEPHERD, JUDGE
    ACTION NO. 16-CI-01228
    WESTERN KENTUCKY
    UNIVERSITY                                                          APPELLEE
    OPINION
    AFFIRMING
    ** ** ** ** **
    BEFORE: CLAYTON, CHIEF JUDGE; DIXON AND MAZE, JUDGES.
    CLAYTON, CHIEF JUDGE: Kentucky Retirement Systems, (“Retirement
    Systems” or “Systems”), by and through its Board of Trustees and on behalf of
    Kentucky Employees Retirement System, appeals from an opinion and order of the
    Franklin Circuit Court granting summary judgment to Western Kentucky
    University (“WKU”). The issue is whether a group of former WKU maintenance
    workers, who are now employed by a private company that manages WKU’s
    facilities, are still employees of the university for purposes of participating in the
    Kentucky Employees Retirement System (“KERS”), thus requiring WKU to
    continue making pension contributions on their behalf. Retirement Systems argues
    that the circuit court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to address the question
    under the Declaratory Judgment Act, Kentucky Revised Statutes (“KRS”) 418.010
    et seq., and usurped Retirement Systems’ exclusive statutory authority in making
    this determination. Systems alleges multiple additional errors by the circuit court
    relating to the scope of its review, discovery issues, statutory violations, and
    evidentiary issues.
    Background
    WKU is a state university that participates in KERS. KERS is
    administered by Retirement Systems and is governed by KRS 61.510 et seq.
    Sodexo Management Inc. is a private corporation which provides management,
    facilities, and food services to over five hundred universities throughout the United
    States. Sodexo has provided management services in WKU’s Department for
    Facilities Management since 1994.
    -2-
    In March 2015, WKU solicited bids from outside contractors to
    submit a five-year plan to recruit, hire, train, and retain maintenance workers.
    Sodexo was the only company that submitted a bid, which the university did not
    immediately accept. Then, in January 2016, WKU’s funding was reduced by
    executive-branch budget cuts. WKU performed a cost-benefit analysis which
    showed that accepting Sodexo’s offer would help to alleviate the university’s
    budgetary shortfall and improve the performance of the maintenance workers.
    Accordingly, on April 26, 2016, WKU entered into a Management Agreement
    pursuant to which Sodexo would recruit, hire, and supervise employees to provide
    facilities services to the university. The contract included a provision under which
    Sodexo agreed to offer employment to the outgoing maintenance workers. This
    provision was included in order to comply with KRS 45A.551(3)(e)2., which
    provides that when a state agency terminates employees and outsources their work
    to a private vendor, the agency must ask the vendor to hire the displaced
    employees and provide them with comparable wages.
    WKU thereafter notified the maintenance workers that their
    employment with WKU would be terminated effective July 31, 2016. The workers
    were also informed they would be considered for employment with Sodexo if they
    met certain standards. WKU did not terminate the employment of eighteen
    custodial and grounds-keeping employees who had more than 20 years of service
    -3-
    to WKU and it continues to pay KERS contributions for these employees.
    Ultimately, 148 of the 164 employees who were terminated transitioned to
    employment with Sodexo.
    On May 23, 2016, WKU notified Retirement Systems of the
    agreement with Sodexo and solicited any concerns. More than two months later,
    three days before the contract became effective, Retirement Systems sent a letter
    notifying WKU that the transitioning employees were required to continue their
    participation in KERS. As grounds, the letter stated that the employees would still
    be “controlled to a significant degree by WKU” which indicated that “there
    continues to be an actual employee/employer relationship between the . . .
    employees and WKU[.]” The letter directed WKU to continue reporting the
    employees in question to Retirement Systems.
    Correspondence and discussions thereafter continued between WKU
    and Systems but Systems did not alter its position, stating that the employees
    remained “common law employees” of WKU and that WKU’s compliance with
    KRS Chapter 45A did not alter this outcome. It advised that WKU remained
    obligated to remit employer and employee contributions for these individuals, and
    directed WKU to do so in order to avoid future penalty assessments under KRS
    61.675(3)(b). It also notified the university that the employees would not be
    -4-
    permitted to retire or take a refund of their KERS accounts while working for
    Sodexo.
    WKU thereafter filed a petition for declaratory judgment against
    Retirement Systems in the Franklin Circuit Court. It sought a declaration that
    WKU’s privatization of the services encompassed in the contract with Sodexo
    complied with the law of Kentucky and that Systems could not unilaterally
    determine that the privatization pursuant to KRS Chapter 45A was void; that the
    employees transitioned to Sodexo ceased to be WKU employees; that WKU was
    no longer obligated to remit employer or employee contributions to KERS; that
    WKU and its former employees were not responsible for any penalties or interest;
    and that the former employees had a break in service from WKU and could have
    full access to their KERS retirement benefits. Systems sought to dismiss the
    petition on multiple grounds. The motion was denied. Ultimately, Systems argued
    that the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to address the petition because Systems
    had been given the sole authority by KRS 61.510(5) to determine who is an
    employee for purposes of participation in the KERS.
    Ultimately, the Franklin Circuit Court granted summary judgment to
    WKU, holding that it had jurisdiction to entertain the petition. It found that
    Retirement Systems employed the wrong standard in evaluating the status of the
    transitioned employees. Systems employed the 20 Factors Test of the Internal
    -5-
    Revenue Service (“IRS”) in determining that the workers remained employees of
    WKU. The circuit court held that the definition of “employer” found in KRS
    61.510(6) was the controlling standard for making this determination and
    superseded the 20 Factors Test. It determined that under KRS 61.510(6), WKU
    was not the employer of the employees because WKU no longer had the power to
    appoint or select these employees. This appeal by Retirement Systems followed.
    Further facts will be set forth below as necessary.
    Standard of Review
    “[A]n action for declaratory relief commenced in the circuit court is
    an original action to be tried de novo, in which the circuit judge ascertains the facts
    without deference to the [lower] court’s view.” Whitley v. Robertson County, 
    406 S.W.3d 11
    , 14-15 (Ky. 2013).
    Under Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (CR) 56.03, summary
    judgment is appropriate where “the pleadings, depositions, answers to
    interrogatories, stipulations, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if
    any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving
    party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Summary judgment should be
    granted when it appears impossible for the nonmoving party to produce evidence at
    trial warranting a judgment in his favor. Steelvest, Inc. v. Scansteel Service Center,
    Inc., 
    807 S.W.2d 476
    , 482 (Ky. 1991).
    -6-
    On appeal, we consider whether the circuit court erred in finding no
    genuine issue of material fact exists and the moving party was entitled to judgment
    as a matter of law. Scifres v. Kraft, 
    916 S.W.2d 779
    , 781 (Ky. App. 1996).
    Furthermore, because factual findings are not at issue, our review is de novo and
    we owe no deference to the conclusions of the trial court. Pinkston v. Audubon
    Area Community Services, Inc., 
    210 S.W.3d 188
    , 189 (Ky. App. 2006).
    Finally, a trial court’s rulings on evidentiary issues are reviewed for
    an abuse of discretion. Matthews v. Commonwealth, 
    371 S.W.3d 743
    , 749 (Ky.
    App. 2011) (citations omitted). The test for an abuse of discretion “is whether the
    trial judge’s decision was arbitrary, unreasonable, unfair, or unsupported by sound
    legal principles.” 
    Id.
     (citation omitted).
    Analysis
    Retirement Systems argues that the circuit court’s decision to address
    WKU’s petition for declaratory judgment usurped the exclusive authority of
    Retirement Systems to determine who is a qualifying employee. According to
    Systems, this authority derives from KRS 61.510(5), which states:
    “Employee” means the members, officers, and
    employees of the General Assembly and every regular
    full-time, appointed or elective officer or employee of a
    participating department, including the Department of
    Military Affairs. The term does not include persons
    engaged as independent contractors, seasonal,
    emergency, temporary, interim, and part-time workers.
    In case of any doubt, the board shall determine if a
    -7-
    person is an employee within the meaning of KRS
    61.510 to 61.705[.]
    (Emphasis added.)
    Retirement Systems argues that the last sentence of this provision
    grants it the exclusive power to make an administrative determination regarding
    the status of an employee for pension purposes, and that this determination is
    susceptible only to the most limited form of review. It points out that KRS
    Chapter 61 authorizes no express means of appealing such a decision, whereas the
    chapter does provide for appeals by individual members (KRS 61.645(14) and
    (16)) and by agencies in very specific instances (KRS 61.598(7)). Systems further
    argues that KRS 13B.140, which provides for the judicial review of the final orders
    of an agency, is also inapplicable here because WKU never requested such a
    review. Systems acknowledges that judicial review of a state agency action is
    available when a party alleges arbitrariness or deprivation of due process, see, e.g.,
    Crouch v. Jefferson County, Kentucky Police Merit Board, 
    773 S.W.2d 461
     (Ky.
    1988) and Alvey v. Davis, 
    583 S.W.3d 20
    , 24 (Ky. App. 2019), but contends that it
    is unavailable here because WKU never made such claims. In sum, Retirement
    Systems argues that because there is no statutory basis for an appeal and no
    allegation by WKU of arbitrariness or deprivation of due process, the circuit court
    lacked subject matter jurisdiction to consider WKU’s petition.
    -8-
    The circuit court found that it had jurisdiction under KRS 418.040,
    which provides that “[i]n any action in a court of record of this Commonwealth
    having general jurisdiction wherein it is made to appear that an actual controversy
    exists, the plaintiff may ask for a declaration of rights, either alone or with other
    relief; and the court may make a binding declaration of rights, whether or not
    consequential relief is or could be asked.” The circuit court noted that it was a
    court of record having general jurisdiction by operation of KRS 23A.010, that an
    actual controversy existed between the parties regarding their differing
    interpretations of the controlling statute, and that WKU could be liable for millions
    of dollars in retirement contributions if the Systems’ interpretation was upheld. It
    characterized this as precisely the kind of legal dispute over the interpretation of
    statutes and legal rights that is contemplated by the Declaratory Judgment Act. We
    agree.
    The Declaratory Judgment Act is “remedial; [its] purpose is to make
    courts more serviceable to the people by way of settling controversies, and
    affording relief from uncertainty and insecurity with respect to rights, duties and
    relations, and [is] to be liberally interpreted and administered. KRS 418.080.”
    Bank One Kentucky NA v. Woodfield Financial Consortium LP, 
    957 S.W.2d 276
    ,
    278 (Ky. App. 1997) (citations omitted).
    -9-
    WKU’s situation is analogous to that of the appellant in Whitley v.
    Robertson County, supra, in which the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that a
    declaratory judgment action was appropriate. Whitley purchased a property
    containing a portion of laneway which he assumed was part of the county road
    system. Whitley, 406 S.W.3d at 13. He then petitioned the fiscal court to abandon
    or formally discontinue the portion of the laneway on his land from the county
    road system. The fiscal court formally decided against his petition and voted
    against discontinuance of the roadway. He did not appeal from this decision,
    although a formal appeals process was available. Id. He later discovered that the
    road had never been properly adopted as part of the county system in the first
    place. At a regular meeting of the fiscal court, he presented evidence of this
    finding and asked the fiscal court to acknowledge that there had never been a
    formal adoption into the official road system. Id. The fiscal court refused and
    reaffirmed that the laneway was part of the county system. Id. at 14. Whitley then
    filed a declaratory judgment action and the circuit court granted summary
    judgment, finding that the disputed section had not been properly adopted as a
    county road. The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed. It noted that Whitley could
    not have appealed from the fiscal court’s decision because it took no formal action
    of the kind that is appealable under KRS 178.100; rather, it simply “reaffirmed its
    ongoing stance” that the laneway was a county road. Id. at 15-16.
    -10-
    Similarly, in this case, there was no formal determination on the part
    of Systems from which WKU could have brought an appeal pursuant to KRS
    Chapter 13B, which permits judicial review of an administrative final order. As in
    the case of the fiscal court in Whitley, Systems simply reiterated its stance that the
    transitioned employees are still employees of WKU for pension purposes. Under
    Whitley, therefore, a petition for declaratory judgment was an appropriate means of
    settling the dispute between the parties.
    Systems argues that routine administrative determinations must be
    distinguished from final administrative decisions for which a KRS Chapter 13B
    hearing is permitted, claiming that otherwise every decision by an agency would be
    challenged and bring governmental executive action to a halt.
    According to WKU, Systems’ decision, which was made without a
    hearing or any formal adjudication, means the university may have to pay $4
    million over the next five years in pension contributions for employees to whom it
    no longer issues paychecks. This potential result is serious enough to implicate the
    university’s procedural due process rights and concerns of arbitrariness under
    Section 2 of the Kentucky Constitution. WKU may not have raised these concerns
    below but they may be considered by this Court in the context of a declaratory
    judgment action. “The general rule that matters not raised below may not
    originally be raised in this court does not apply here. In a declaratory judgment
    -11-
    action, we are not ‘confined to errors alleged or apparent in the record.’ KRS
    418.065.” Rea v. Gallatin County Fiscal Court, 
    422 S.W.2d 134
    , 138 (Ky. 1967).
    Although “[t]hese specific provisions applicable only in declaratory judgment
    actions should not be viewed as a judicial safety net, relieving litigants of the need
    to consider carefully their responsive pleadings, . . . they indisputably allow both
    trial and appellate courts to reach those issues deemed necessary for proper
    resolution of a declaratory judgment action.” Bowling v. Kentucky Dep’t of
    Corrections, 
    301 S.W.3d 478
    , 486 (Ky. 2009), as corrected (Jan. 4, 2010).
    “KRS 418.040 is an expansive statute which permits parties involved
    in a dispute to resolve conflict in a nearly limitless number of situations. It is
    therefore fair to say that the provision is a crucial provision implementing our
    Constitution’s mandate that ‘[a]ll courts shall be open, and every person for an
    injury done him in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by due
    course of law, and right and justice administered without sale, denial or delay.’
    Ky. Const. § 14[.]” Whitley, 406 S.W.3d at 18. Because the petition presented an
    actual and serious controversy between the parties and because WKU was afforded
    no other avenue of relief, the circuit court properly asserted jurisdiction over the
    matter. This is not a unique situation. For example, in order to obtain judicial
    review in prison discipline cases, inmates are permitted to petition the circuit court
    for a declaration of rights because adjustment hearings are exempt from the
    -12-
    application of KRS Chapter 13B. Watkins v. Fannin, 
    278 S.W.3d 637
    , 642 (Ky.
    App. 2009).
    Next, Systems argues that, having assumed jurisdiction, the circuit
    court should have limited the scope of its review to determining whether Systems
    possessed the statutory authority to make the employee status determination
    pursuant to KRS 61.510(5). Systems contends that the circuit court exceeded its
    authority when it held that Systems erred in applying the IRS 20 Factors Test to
    determine whether employees are required to participate in KERS. According to
    Systems, the 20 Factors Test is used by the IRS in determining income and
    employment tax withholding requirements and allowability of work-related and
    employee benefit plan income tax deductions. It contends that under the American
    Beauty Homes line of cases, see American Beauty Homes Corporation v. Louisville
    and Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission, 
    379 S.W.2d 450
    , 453
    (Ky. 1964), this holding by the circuit court was an inappropriate de novo review
    of an administrative action.
    The circuit court held that Systems should have applied the standard
    found in KRS 61.510(6), which defines “employer” as “a department or any
    authority of a department having the power to appoint or select an employee in the
    department, including the Senate and the House of Representatives, or any other
    entity, the employees of which are eligible for membership in the system pursuant
    -13-
    to KRS 61.525[.]” Relying on KRS 13A.130, the circuit court described the use of
    the IRS 20 Factors Test as a “deviation from the appropriate statutory test in a
    manner that expands or alters the statute through internal policy. An agency
    cannot modify or alter the policy set forth in statute through internal policy.” KRS
    13A.130(1) provides that “[a]n administrative body shall not by internal policy,
    memorandum, or other form of action . . . [m]odify a statute or administrative
    regulation [or] [e]xpand upon or limit a statute or administrative regulation[.]” The
    circuit court held that Systems’ reliance on the IRS 20 Factors Test was beyond the
    scope of the controlling statutes and faulted Systems for not even formally
    incorporating the IRS 20 Factors Test into its administrative regulations. It
    concluded that because it is undisputed that Sodexo, not WKU, has the power to
    choose who it employs and the power to fire these employees, under the plain
    language of KRS 61.510(6), WKU is not the “employer” of the employees.
    Systems argues that its use of the IRS 20 Factors Test was appropriate
    because under KRS 61.645(9)(e), it is required to maintain its qualified tax-exempt
    status with the IRS. Systems contends that because it is required by statute to
    comply with federal taxation statutes and regulations, it must guard against
    “questionable” employment arrangements made by KERS agencies such as WKU.
    It further points out that the IRS 20 Factors are similar to those used in common
    law, by the Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Board, and by the Wages and Hours
    -14-
    Division of the Kentucky Department of Labor. It contends that the totality of the
    circumstances must be considered in determining whether an employer-employee
    relationship exists, including factors such as WKU’s control over the employees,
    the provision of tools, instrumentalities, and the place of work. It contends that
    this approach does not violate Kentucky law but rather complies with the deference
    to federal statutes and regulations required by KRS 61.645(9).
    Although we recognize that Systems is required to comply with IRS
    statutes and regulations, its decision not to acknowledge the clear definition of
    “employer” provided in KRS 61.510(6) was erroneous. The circuit court’s holding
    that Systems applied the wrong legal standard was well within the permissible
    scope of its de novo review and did not intrude on Systems’ administrative
    authority. In any event, the circuit court also found that, even under the IRS 20
    Factors Test, the employees at issue were employees of Sodexo and not WKU.
    Systems further argues that the grant of summary judgment was
    inappropriate because material issues of fact remain unresolved. It contends that
    an analysis of the situation involves a fact-specific review which conflicts with the
    summary judgment standard. It further contends that, even if the facts are
    undisputed, summary judgment is inappropriate if there is a dispute as to the
    conclusions to be drawn. The case upon which it relies for this proposition,
    Commonwealth v. Thomas Heavy Hauling, Inc., 
    889 S.W.2d 807
    , 808 (Ky. 1994),
    -15-
    is not directly relevant, however, because it involved differing interpretations of
    undisputed facts by two experts. “[T]he expert witness utilized by each of the
    parties formed a different intent and conclusions from the undisputed facts of the
    record, which rendered summary judgment inappropriate.” 
    Id.
     But Systems can
    point to no facts which would support a finding that WKU retained the power “to
    appoint or select an employee in the [maintenance] department[.]” KRS 61.510(6).
    In light of the absence of this key point of evidence, summary judgment was
    appropriate.
    Systems further argues that the circuit court’s entry of a protective
    order limiting discovery improperly limited its review process. After WKU filed
    its complaint, Systems responded by filing a motion to dismiss. The circuit court
    denied the motion and Systems served interrogatories on WKU. WKU sought a
    protective order to excuse it from having to respond. The circuit court expressed
    concern that protracted discovery would hinder an expeditious resolution of the
    case, but it allowed the parties to request documents and have a representative at a
    CR 30.02(6) deposition. Later, the court permitted additional discovery but only
    insofar as WKU was allowed to explore the Systems’ approval of a similar
    privatization effort at Eastern Kentucky University (“EKU”), where a number of
    employees were transitioned to employment by Aramark.
    -16-
    Systems argues that it was limited in the number of depositions it was
    allowed to take, and no verbal testimony was permitted from the transitioned
    employees and their supervisors. It argues that the circuit court abused its
    discretion in prohibiting the interrogatories, limiting the number of depositions,
    and then sustaining WKU’s request to explore the situation at EKU.
    We acknowledge that it is difficult for Systems to demonstrate actual
    prejudice stemming from the circuit court’s ruling because the additional facts that
    might have been revealed through expanded discovery are unknown. But Systems
    does not suggest the type of evidence it sought to discover and what its
    determinative impact on the case could have been. By contrast, WKU’s efforts to
    explore Systems’ approval of an employee privatization effort at EKU was directly
    pertinent to this case. The circuit court tried to balance its concerns for a timely
    resolution of the case with its recognition that the analogous situation at EKU was
    germane to the resolution of this legal question. As WKU has pointed out, the
    ability to consider the EKU contract enabled the circuit court to arrive at a uniform
    and fair resolution of a novel issue. Under these circumstances, the protective
    order and the decision to allow discovery regarding the privatization arrangement
    at EKU was not an abuse of discretion on the circuit court’s part.
    Systems next argues that the circuit court erred in failing to rule on
    whether the transition of the WKU employees violated various provisions of KRS
    -17-
    Chapter 45A, the Model Procurement Code, and in not allowing Systems to file an
    amended answer and counterclaim raising challenges based on these purported
    violations. Specifically, it contends that the circuit court erred in failing to rule
    that the transition of the WKU employees to Sodexo violated KRS 45A.551, which
    governs the procedures for state agency privatization contracts. Systems alleges
    that WKU failed to obtain approval from the Finance and Administration Cabinet
    for the privatization as required by the statute, and thereby voided its contract with
    Sodexo. It further alleges violations by WKU of KRS 45A.130, which governs cost
    reimbursement contracts.
    In its order of May 21, 2020, which denied Systems’ motion to alter,
    amend, or vacate its opinion and order granting summary judgment, the circuit
    court addressed these arguments. As to the cost reimbursement contract provision,
    the circuit court found that KRS 45A.130 was inapplicable because the agreement
    between WKU and Sodexo did not provide “for the reimbursement of the
    contractor’s cost plus a fixed fee,” but rather provides that WKU is to repay
    Sodexo for these costs as they increase. Thus, WKU is not restricted in its ability
    to contest and negotiate any requested increase in costs.
    The circuit court further ruled in regard to KRS 45A.551 that because
    universities have close to plenary power over the operation of their institutions, it
    is unclear whether the secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet had any
    -18-
    legal authority over the contract with Sodexo. The court further observed that
    “even if there was a violation of KRS Chapter 45A, it would not alter the Court’s
    determination that the employees in question ceased being employees of WKU and
    became employees of Sodexo for purposes of determining WKU’s obligation to
    make [KERS] contributions.”
    We agree with the circuit court’s interpretation of these statutory
    provisions and their application to the agreement between WKU and Sodexo.
    Ultimately, the issue in this case was not whether the agreement between WKU
    and Sodexo complied with KRS Chapter 45A, but whether the employees in
    question remained employees of WKU for purposes of contributing to KERS.
    Systems argues that WKU’s actions also violated KRS 61.520 and
    KRS 61.522, which require participating departments to collect and remit KERS
    contributions for their employees. It contends that WKU’s scheme thwarted
    legislative policy objectives by attempting to evade its financial responsibility for
    the unfunded actuarial pension liability of the transitioned employees. But nothing
    in these statutes prevents agencies from terminating employees and KRS 61.520(4)
    states that a department only needs to make contributions for positions until those
    positions no longer exist. WKU’s decision did not hinder any clearly-stated
    legislative goals and Systems’ argument in this regard is speculative.
    -19-
    Furthermore, WKU’s actions were well within the authority granted to
    it by the Legislature. As the circuit court observed, the Kentucky Supreme Court
    has emphasized that the financial management and control of our state universities
    is enshrined in their boards of regents. Commonwealth ex rel. Beshear v.
    Commonwealth Office of the Governor ex rel. Bevin, 
    498 S.W.3d 355
     (Ky. 2016).
    The circuit court recognized that the Board of Regents of WKU, faced with a
    reduction in its appropriations, made the difficult decision to outsource its physical
    plant operations to Sodexo, and concluded as follows: “So long as that
    outsourcing vests the basic employment decisions of management, hiring and
    firing in the private entity, and the private contractor rather than WKU meets the
    definition of employer in KRS 61.510(6), the [Systems] has no legal authority to
    second-guess this financial management decision of the WKU Board.”
    Finally, Systems argues that the circuit court should not have
    compared the WKU agreement with a separate outsourcing contract between EKU
    and Aramark. In that case, Systems determined that EKU’s contract with Aramark
    did not violate KRS Chapter 61. The circuit court believed that examining the
    EKU contract would provide guidance regarding Systems’ internal review and
    application of the issues. Systems argues that the circuit court erred in comparing
    the two agreements because they contained material differences and characterizes
    comparing the two agreements as akin to an appellate court randomly selecting an
    -20-
    unrelated decision of a circuit court and comparing it to the matter being
    considered on appeal.
    But the EKU agreement was not unrelated to the matter at hand: the
    factual situations were highly similar. The circuit court carefully analyzed the
    similarities and the differences between the two agreements and concluded that the
    parallels between them made it difficult to understand why WKU was required to
    continue making contributions to KERS while EKU was not. In this way, the
    comparison of the two agreements highlighted the potential arbitrariness which
    characterized Systems’ decision-making regarding WKU. The EKU agreement
    was pertinent evidence in this case and the circuit court did not abuse its discretion
    in considering it.
    Conclusion
    For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the opinion and order of the
    Franklin Circuit Court granting summary judgment to WKU.
    ALL CONCUR.
    -21-
    BRIEFS AND ORAL ARGUMENT    BRIEF FOR APPELLEE:
    FOR APPELLANT:
    Thomas N. Kerrick
    Robert W. Kellerman         Laura M. Hagan
    Frankfort, Kentucky         R. Alexander Thomason
    Bowling Green, Kentucky
    ORAL ARGUMENT FOR
    APPELLEE:
    Thomas N. Kerrick
    Bowling Green, Kentucky
    -22-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 2020 CA 000793

Filed Date: 8/19/2021

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 8/27/2021